


The Suave and the Awkward

by Dream_Trance



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: DPxDF, F/M, Gray Ghost, M/M, Pitch Pearl, Slow Updates, and Phantom's a mischievous little shit, because Fenton's awkward and clumsy, bisexual Danny, freak outs and make outs abound, it's complicated - Freeform, secondhand embarassment, secret relationship that's not actually a relationship but kind of actually is, selfcest to the max, they're the same person okay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-08
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2017-11-18 05:59:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 58,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/557657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dream_Trance/pseuds/Dream_Trance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Upon having his pride damaged, Danny realizes he needs to learn how to kiss, but great kissers aren't born—you need determination to take the first step, a splice of awkwardness to set the mood, and a willing participant for you to practice on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Breaking Boundaries

**Author's Note:**

> Reposting from Fanfiction.net

 

 _Kissing is like drinking salted water. You drink, and your thirst increases._ ~Chinese Proverb

* * *

Danny paced across his bedroom, his hands alternating between running through his hair and fidgeting at his sides. He glanced at the Fenton Ghost Catcher sparkling innocently in the dying sunlight, winced, and quickly resumed pacing. Two minutes later, his gaze wondered back to his parents' invention.

The teen hero gulped and then approached the Ghost Catcher. He lifted his hand, but faltered, his fingertips just grazing the glowing green net. Hours ago, he had decided he needed to do this, but it was just so… _wrong_.

Echoes of Tucker's teasing comments and Valerie's snickers haunted his ears, and Danny's hand fisted at his side. Without a second thought, he transformed and flew through the glowing net. His scream caught in his throat as each cell, each molecule was forcibly split apart. He felt _himself_ splitting apart. The oddest sensation, when your outlook is divided by two bodies. How does one describe the process of becoming two?

It lasted only a second, but by the time that second elapsed, Danny ceased to exist.

* * *

"Next time," Fenton said from his spread-eagle position on the floor, "we need to prepare a softer landing for me." He spat out blue carpet fibers and then climbed unsteadily to his feet. A wave of dizziness overcame him, and he held his head steady as the rest of the world spun. Only Phantom remained stationary in the spinning world, but Fenton suspected that was because the ghost was actually swaying in midair.

"There was never supposed to be a _this_ time," the ghost of Danny said. He ran his fingers through his white hair, grimacing at the feeling. "And when was the last time we showered? My hair is filthy!"

Fenton leaned against the Ghost Catcher's pole for support, and soon the dizzy spell passed. He sighed in relief. "Let's not make a habit of this."

"Agreed." Phantom sagged against the upper ring of the Catcher. His ghost tail flicked behind him like a whip, displaying his agitation.

"I mean, there _had_ to be another way to…to… to do this."

Phantom looked down at his human twin, frowning. "We went over all our options when we were one. This was the only way. Unless you want to play the fool in front of Paulina or Sam as well as Valerie?"

Fenton flushed. "No. That was…uh…"

"Terrible."

"I was going for humiliating, but that works too. But this…" Fenton waved a hand between him and Phantom. "…this is just…"

"Awkward?"

"Just w _rong_. Just very, very wrong."

Phantom shrugged his shoulders, but a similar grimace marred his features. "We've little choice. It's either this, or…"

Fenton squinted up at him. "Or…?"

"Or we remain uneducated and ridiculed at school. Or our reputation remains damaged. Or Valerie will never see us as anything more than a friend."

"…I can live with that." Compared to what they were supposed to do, the consequences weren't so—

"I can't."

Fenton's eyes snapped to his doppelganger's face. "What?"

Phantom landed beside Fenton on his newly appeared feet. He stared into his human twin's eyes, and said, "I refuse to be the laughingstock of the school any longer. I refuse to allow this deficiency to come between us and Valerie. We _will_ do this."

"Whoa!" Fenton held up his hands between himself and the phantom. "Whoa, just-just slow down, okay. Can't we, you know, like, talk about this or something?"

"There's no need. We decided we would do this before we separated, and I'm not going to let you chicken out on me now."

Fenton bristled, almost wishing his eyes could still glow. "I'm not chickening out!"

"Then relax." The skin around Phantom's eyes softened. "Relax, or this will be more awkward than it needs to be." The ghost's tone was soft, gentle. It echoed around the room and in Fenton's ears like a breeze of cold air.

A chill ran down Fenton's spine, and the boy rubbed his forearms, trying to will away the goosebumbs the ghost's creepy voice caused. "It's not that easy, okay? I mean, we're supposed to ki—" He snapped his mouth shut, blood flooding his cheeks.

"Kiss," Phantom supplied. His green eyes rolled skyward. "Oh, the horror…"

"It _is_ horrifying! We're the _same person_! The same _guy_! We can't k-ki-k—"

"Kiss."

"—each other! It's gross! It's wrong! How can you be so comfortable with the idea?"

Phantom frowned. "I'm not. I find it just as disgusting as you do."

"Then don't do it!"

"But what I find more disgusting than kissing myself, is kissing Valerie and then listening to her laugh at me again."

Fenton flinched. The sound of Valerie's laughter still rang in his ears. She had apologized when she realized she insulted Danny, but that hadn't stopped her from blurting to Starr he was a lousy kisser, and from there it had spread throughout the whole school.

"Wrong or not," Phantom continued, "we need to do this. We need to learn how to kiss before our date with Valerie tonight." He brushed his fingers against his human half's cheek.

Fenton's eyes flew wide open. He jerked away from Phantom's touch and stumbled backwards into the Fenton Ghost Catcher. "D-don't touch me!"

Phantom slowly lowered his hand, his left eyebrow quirked. "Physical contact is necessary for a kiss, you know."

"I know that! It's just—you—I can't—"

"You just can't kiss me?"

Fenton closed his mouth and nodded, his nose wrinkled.

"…Pretend I'm Valerie then, if you must."

The ghost advanced on Fenton, as graceful on his feet as he was in the air, and Fenton plastered himself against the metal pole. Phantom grabbed his shoulders, and Fenton closed his eyes, frantically willing the image of Valerie to the forefront of his mind. He imagined her right before their first kiss, when her dark complexion failed to hide her blush and her beautiful teal eyes held as much excitement as he felt.

Icy lips pressed against his own, and the image of Valerie shattered into a million pieces.

"Mph!" Fenton shoved his hands against Phantom's chest, sending the lightweight ghost tumbling backwards through the air. "Gross!" He scrubbed his lips against the back of his hand, seconds away from spitting.

"A simple 'Get off me!' would have sufficed," Phantom grumbled after he had righted himself.

"It's not going to work! How am I supposed to pretend you're Valerie when you're freezing to the touch?"

"Pretend I'm Ember or Johnny then!" Phantom floated back to his previous position, ignoring the way Fenton tensed. "I don't care _who_ you imagine me to be, but we are going to teach ourselves how to kiss."

Fenton sagged against the bar at his back. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

"No."

Fenton grimaced. "I…" He shook his head. "Fine. Fine. We—I'll…" He stood up straight. He looked into Phantom's eyes, blushed, and quickly looked away, scowling. "Just do your worst…"

He couldn't see it, but he was sure Phantom rolled his eyes. "Charming."

Out of the corner of his eye, Fenton saw Phantom's gloved hand reach for his face. He swallowed as cold fingers seized his chin and forced him to face Phantom again, a scant two inches away. The light from the setting sun accented Phantom's natural glow a warm orange hue, but the ghost's green eyes shown brighter. Too close. Too intense. The human flushed and tried to jerk his head away, but Phantom held him firmly in place.

"Relax," he whispered, his breath ghosting across Fenton's lips as he drew closer.

Fenton screwed his eyes shut. A second later, Phantom's cold lips pressed against his. Fenton's shoulder muscles tensed, but he forced himself to relax by conjuring Valerie's image again. Except Valerie's lips were soft and smooth, not chapped from strong winds and high altitudes. Yet instead of detracting from the pleasure, the rough texture of Phantom's lips tickled Fenton's mouth and made the boy shiver.

Phantom drifted a little closer, adding pressure to Fenton's lips. Hesitantly, Fenton returned the pressure and tilted his head slightly to the side. Emboldened, Phantom parted his lips and slid his tongue along the crevice of Fenton's. The human chocked and tried to jerk his head away, but Phantom's hold on his chin tightened, stopping his kneejerk reaction.

"Open your mouth," Phantom ordered, his lips rubbing against Fenton's as he spoke.

"Um-umph!" Fenton mumbled. There was _no way_ he was letting Phantom stick his tongue inside his mouth. That was just gross.

Phantom withdrew from Fenton and sighed cold air against his face."You are being very stubborn about this."

Fenton glared at him. "Like you're any better!"

Phantom returned glare for glare. Fenton wanted to look away from those blazing green eyes, but Phantom still held his chin, forcing him to maintain eye-contact. "I'm at least trying! What have you done except sit there and whine?"

"Hey!"

"The longer you fight this, the longer we both have to suffer. Now pucker your lips and let's get this over with!"

Fenton's eyebrows rose to his hairline, a light blush staining his cheeks. "Dude, that has got to be the most unromantic line I have ever heard."

Phantom paused. He titled his head slightly to the side, and the white strands of his hair tickled Fenton's face as he moved. "Should I be romantic?"

"What?" Fenton's blush intensified and spread to his neck and hairline. "No! _No_! D-don't even think about it!"

A corner of Phantom's lips turned up, an expression the human half of Danny recognized as the one they wore when they felt mischievous. "I think I should. A kiss isn't a kiss unless it's romantic."

Fenton sputtered, and he hated how his whole face felt like it was on fire. "Are you _crazy_? We can't—we're the _same person_!"

"We may have originated from the same person, but right now we are two separate entities." Phantom stroked his thumb along the dip in Fenton's chin, right beneath his lips, and smirked deviously at the human's horrified expression. "The only thing we share right now is a common goal."

"That's not how it works!"

"Isn't it, though?" Phantom released Fenton's chin, and the freed human scurried to the opposite side of the Ghost Catcher's pole. Phantom's smirk grew, amused. "What you think, I don't think. What you feel, I don't feel. You don't know what I'm thinking or what I'm feeling at this very moment. By its very definition, we are no longer the same person." Phantom placed a gloved hand on the pole and leaned into Fenton's face. "So what is stopping us?" he whispered in a husky voice.

Fenton made an odd yelping noise. He backpedaled away from the ghost, but tripped over his own feet before he could go more than two steps.

Phantom crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his shoulder against the pole, that infuriating smirk still plastered on his lips as he stared down at Fenton. "Is it wrong that I find your clumsiness…cute?"

Fenton opened and closed his mouth like a fish, unable to find the words he needed. His thoughts were jumbled, his mind unable to cope with this bizarre situation. Messing with him was one thing, but if Phantom was actually serious then…then…

"What are you afraid of?" Phantom asked. "We are the only ones in this room, the only ones that will know what happens behind this closed door. If, as you say, we are the same person, then there's even less to fear since to laugh or insult you would be to insult myself."

Fenton turned his head and stared at the carpet sticking up between the gap of his fingers. "I…"

Phantom's smirk slipped slowly into a frown. "Or is that what is really holding you back? That I will laugh at you like Valerie did?"

Fenton's fingers curled into a fist around the carpet fibers. "Of course not!"

Dropping his relaxed pose against the pole, Phantom stepped towards the glaring human. "That _is_ what you're afraid of, isn't it? Or at least one of your fears."

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is. I know it is because …" The ghost knelt on his knee beside Fenton's outstretched legs. "…I fear the same thing."

Fenton glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. "You do?"

"Of course." The smirk returned to Phantom's face, although it was a great deal smaller. "After all, we _used_ to be the same person with the same fears and wants."

Scowling, Fenton looked away. "It still doesn't change anything. I…I'm still…I can't…"

"We are— _were_ the same person. If I can do this…" Phantom brushed his hand along Fenton's face until he cupped the other boy's cheek. Fenton's eyes snapped to the ghost's face. "…then so can you."

To his horror, Fenton felt his cheeks heat up beneath Phantom's cold hand. "I…that's not…it's not that simple. You—you're more confident about all this than I am. I don't even know what I'm doing!"

"That's what you have me for." Phantom's voice dropped an octave, the low pitch somehow heating Fenton's blood and making his heart beat faster. "Trust me," the ghost whispered, "and I will guide you through this."

"But you don't know what you're doing either."

"That is what I have you for." Eyelids lowering over neon green eyes, Phantom stared through dark eyelashes and into Fenton's contrasting blue eyes. "To tell me what feels good. To show me what makes you feel so hot you can't think. To respond when you feel pleasure." He rested his forehead against Fenton's. "I need you to allow me to please you."

Phantom's cold breath wafted across Fenton's lips, and the human boy's eyes began to close as a tingle of pleasure coursed down his spine. "But I…"

"But…?" the ghost echoed, his thumb caressing Fenton's cheek. Fenton's heart was beating so hard it almost hurt. Was this what Phantom meant when he mentioned romancing him?

"But it's _wrong_ …"

"For one moment, we can make it _right_."

Phantom sealed their lips together. Fenton's hands flew to Phantom's shoulders and stayed there, immobilized by the conflicting desire to push him away and to pull the ghost closer. Phantom placed his hand on Fenton's hip bone and slipped his fingers beneath his white T-shirt. The icy fingers danced across Fenton's heated skin, and it was all Fenton could do to hold onto the ghost's shoulders as a wave of desire washed over him. The cold touch should have snapped Fenton out of whatever spell Phantom had spun on him, but the contrast in temperatures only pulled him in deeper.

Phantom's tongue traced Fenton's lips, and Fenton parted them without thinking. The cold tongue entered his mouth and grazed over his tongue. Fenton's facial muscles twitched. He hadn't liked the thought of swapping saliva with Valerie, and he didn't relish the thought of doing so now with his ghost half. Phantom's tongue explored and prodded his mouth, but his touches were light, cautious; his tongue flinched away a little every time it touched something, and Fenton realized the ghost felt the same way.

Then the tip of Phantom's cold tongue traced the underside of Fenton's, and the human boy gasped, his hands convulsing on the ghost's shoulders. Phantom hummed in interest, and the vibration carried into Fenton's mouth. The boy shivered. He slid his arm around his ghost's shoulders and pulled him closer until their chests were pressed together.

A smirk Fenton felt through his lips was the only warning he got before Phantom's tongue danced around his, alternating between feather-light touches and firm strokes. Fenton moaned, and with a few clever flicks and caresses, Phantom baited Fenton's tongue into participating in the dance his mind insisted was disgusting, but made his body hum with warmth.

Phantom angled his head to the side, granting himself better access into Fenton's mouth. Fenton tangled his fingers in Phantom's snow white hair, absently wondering if _his_ hair was that soft or if it was just a ghost thing. The hand resting on his hip ghosted over his skin until it lay against the small of Fenton's back. It caused an interesting sensation to crawl up Fenton's spine, and the human unconsciously leaned into the cold touch.

Soon Fenton's lungs began to burn. He disengaged the tongue war and tore his lips away from Phantom, gasping for breath. His reprieve didn't last long as Phantom attempted to pull him back into the kiss.

"Wait! I—"

"I will _shoot_ you if you make us stop now," Phantom said, his voice almost too deep and husky to be recognizable. He recaptured Fenton's lips, but Fenton broke away again a few seconds later.

"I need to breathe!"

"Then breathe through your nose." The ghost placed his hand on the back of Fenton's neck and used his new hold to smash their lips together. They both hissed in pain as their teeth clicked painfully together. "Sorry," Phantom murmured before returning to the kiss.

Fenton yanked on Phantom's hair to show his displeasure. The ghost responded by turning his glove intangible and scraping what little nails he had against the dip in Fenton's lower back. Where Fenton felt a wave of pleasure before he now felt a tsunami that crashed against his nerves and made him tingle in all the right places. Fenton moaned and hugged Phantom to him as he leaned against his cold hand, wanting that feeling again. Startled by his reaction, Phantom lost his balance and the two boys fell against the floor.

This time Phantom broke off the kiss. He half sat up from Fenton and cleared his throat. "That was—"

Fenton used his hold on the ghost's head to pull Phantom back down into the kiss. The ghost boy released a startled yelp, unintentionally giving Fenton access to his mouth. Fenton's tongue swooped inside and engaged Phantom's by using the same techniques the ghost had employed earlier. Phantom's eyes rolled closed as he returned the kiss.

Wondering if Phantom would experience the same sensation, Fenton trailed his hand along the ghost's spine and then grazed his nails against the dip of his lower back. Phantom gasped, his eyes flying wide open and his pupils dilating. Fenton chuckled until Phantom shoved his tongue almost down his throat. Fenton groaned and lifted his chin for better access.

The ghost shifted further on top of him and set his leg on the other side of Fenton's body, now straddling Fenton's midsection. Lightweight as the ghost was, his weight excited Fenton without restricting his breathing too badly. Phantom pulled his hands out from beneath Fenton's body and then slipped them beneath his shirt. His cold fingers caressed the small stomach muscles ghost fighting had awarded them. One hand traveled higher up Fenton's chest and the other massaged Fenton's sides.

Fenton broke the kiss and threw his head back, a breathless gasp escaping his lips. He panted through his mouth as Phantom's cold hands stroked his overheated skin, and he was frightened to realize he wanted the feel of Phantom's skin against his without any gloves to separate them—or even any suit at all.

"Ph-Phantom," Fenton stuttered, breathless.

Phantom kissed his throat, and Fenton was exposed to another sensation that sent all thought of stopping to his internal garbage bin. Before the ghost could pull away, Fenton pushed Phantom's face back against his neck. Phantom received the silent message and started alternating between kissing and licking Fenton's neck.

Moaning with abandon, Fenton exposed more of his neck to the ghost, and Phantom responded by placing an open-mouthed kiss against the side of his throat, sucking on the skin. Fenton arched his spine, his body pressing against his ghost as his lungs fought for air. Phantom trailed the tip of his tongue around the area he was sucking, his hand drifting down Fenton's sides. Phantom's pinky slipped beneath the waistband of Fenton's pants, and the image that accompanied the touch made Fenton moan and push his hips into Phantom's hand despite the fear he felt growing.

"Wa-wait," Fenton gasped out, "we can't—"

Phantom crushed their lips together again, careful of their teeth this time. Fenton hugged his ghost to his chest, wanting to push him away but also wanting him to be closer. Much, much closer. But he was already close enough to feel Phantom's core thrumming against his chest; any closer and they'd be one entity again. Phantom pushed his pants further—

"Danny!" Jazz shouted from outside their door. "Valerie wants you to call her!"

The boys froze, staring wide-eyed into each other's eyes. Faster than the Ghost Catcher had split them apart, Phantom flew to the opposite side of the room and Fenton scrambled backwards until he slammed his back against the bed. They stared in horror at each other as they gasped for air, Phantom more so out of fear than actual need.

Jazz pounded her fist against the door. "Are you awake, Danny, or do I need to come in there?"

" _No_!" the two halves of Danny screamed.

"Call your girlfriend then! She said you weren't picking up your cell phone. You shouldn't keep Valerie waiting like this."

They heard their sister leave and then sighed in relief. They glanced at each other, but quickly looked away as soon as their gazes locked.

"I—" Fenton cleared his throat, trying to shake off the husky timbre attached to his voice. "We, uh, we should merge back before we call her."

"Yes. That's…" Phantom cleared his throat as well. "That's a good idea."

Fenton swallowed. "Uh, yeah…" He used the bed to help him stand up, ashamed and embarrassed by how uncomfortable he felt in his pants. "Let's…let's get this over with then."

Phantom nodded and flew behind him. Fenton's whole body tensed, the hairs on his neck and arms standing on end. Phantom hesitated, considering how to hold him so they flew through the Catcher at the same time. Eventually he sighed and wrapped his arms around Fenton's waist. Fenton's skin crawled, and he dearly hoped it was out of revulsion. The ghost lifted them into the air and paused.

"I…" he started. "What we did…"

" _Never_ again," Fenton agreed. "In fact, it never happened, right?"

Phantom floated silently for a few seconds. Then he hugged Fenton close to his chest and whispered against his neck, "If you say so."

Fenton's eyes flew wide open as he felt cold lips kiss the area of his neck that still tingled. "Wha—"

Phantom flew them through the Fenton Ghost Catcher.

* * *

Danny pushed himself onto his knees and grabbed his head, groaning. The memories of his two halves buzzed around his mind, each one clamoring for attention like little children. Swallowing, Danny climbed to his feet and stumbled toward his mirror, disoriented by memories of two people being compressed into his single brain. He crashed into his dresser and leaned on his hands, staring down at his fingers as he allowed the memories of both entities to wash over him.

One memory of Phantom's caught Danny's attention. It was after the…kiss. Phantom was staring down at Fenton, or rather a certain spot on Fenton's neck. His thoughts and feelings had conflicted about what to make of what he saw before finally settling on a tenuous agreement.

Danny looked at the wide blue eyes of his reflection and then slowly lowered his gaze to his neck. Swallowing, the hero touched a finger to the medium sized bruise and felt a mix of pain and pleasure from the raw skin. The pleasure Fenton felt as he received the hickey and the interest and fascination Phantom felt upon seeing his mark tore through Danny's conscious mind like a train wreck.

Nausea welled up in Danny's throat, and he quickly covered the hickey beneath his hand. He stared into his reflection's eyes, and nearly started hyperventilating when he realized his eyes were still dilated from want.

"What…did I just do?"


	2. Practice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you listen closely you can almost hear Fenton crying "Not again..."

* * *

_"Sometimes two people need to step apart_  
and make a space between  
that each might see the other anew,  
in a glance across a room  
or silhouetted against the moon."  
~Robert Brault

* * *

Danny's fingers twitched against his desk, the only sign of his agitation as he once again sensed someone staring at him. A few seconds later, the person turned away, apparently bored by the lack of anything extraordinary, and Danny breathed a little easier…until another kid looked at him. Danny clamped down on the impulse to jump up and start demanding answers, and to hell with his social image. Acting like a lunatic would at least give them a _reason_ to stare at him.

Grumbling under his breath, Danny fiddled with his turtleneck collar, pulling the red cloth higher up his neck. He doubted it was the hickey drawing his classmates' attention. He had a girlfriend. They would assume he received it from her. Paranoia, however, couldn't be rationalized, and the thought of people witnessing the bite mark filled Danny with shame.

"That is all I have for you today, class," Mr. Lancer said. "As much as it pains me to say this, you may use the rest of class time to— _quietly_ —discuss the last few chapters of _Midsummer Night's Dream_. There is a test next week—" The class erupted into action, the social climbers running to Paulina's desk and the rest breaking off into groups to gossip loudly. " _Silent Spring_ , people, I said quietly!"

Danny glanced at Valerie and felt his stomach churn at the murderous expression she still wore on her face. She was glaring at what looked like a newspaper on her desk, so Danny knew he wasn't the cause of her anger…well, not him, her boyfriend. She had acquired the look sometime after the end of lunch, after her talk with Paulina, so Danny assumed her anger was directed towards Danny Phantom. Although, she had been among those throwing Danny _Fenton_ sidelong glances all day…

Danny bit his lip, hesitating. She looked so beautiful, with her dark hair falling in waves around her face and neck, her soft, smooth lips pursed together and her eyes ablaze with intense emotion. Just staring at her made Danny's heart quicken in excitement.

Tucker elbowed Danny in the ribs. He offered his friend a thumbs up when he faced him. "Go for it, dude."

Danny smiled at him before looking at Sam. Approval, acceptance, advice, he wasn't sure what he was looking for; he just knew he needed it from his only female friend.

Sam broke eye-contact and crossed her arms over her chest. "Go do what you have to do, Danny. We'll be here in case her bad mood makes her turn on Danny Fenton too."

Danny gave her a lopsided smile. "Thanks, Sam." She waved him off, sighing.

With both of his friends' support at his back, Danny pushed himself out of his chair and strode towards Valerie's desk, his pace calm and confident despite the nerves eating at his belly. The closer he got to her, the faster his heart beat against his chest.

"Hey, Val," he said. "I was wondering if—"

Valerie stabbed the newspaper with her finger, still glaring down at it. "Have you seen this?"

Danny closed his mouth, frowning slightly. He looked at the newspaper and almost instantly winced. A dedicated news reporter or an obsessed fan had captured a photo of Danny Phantom flying into Fenton Works. Danny Fenton's bedroom to be exact.

 _That would explain the stares,_ Danny thought. _I need to be more careful…_ He shook his head, saying aloud, "Valerie, I—"

"What was he doing? Did he want something? Did he threaten you?"

"Valerie—"

"Did he hurt you? I swear if he so much as touched you—"

"You'll what?" Danny interrupted, his frustration with her prejudice making his tone harsher than he intended. "Beat him with a baseball bat? Come on, Val. You're a normal kid just like me. What could you do to a ghost?"

Valerie froze. Frowning, she looked away.

"My parents are ghost hunters, Val," he said, softly to make up for his harsh tone. "If I'm ever in danger, all I have to do is shout down the hall and they'll come running with guns blazing. Can't get much safer than that."

Valerie said nothing, although Danny knew what she must be thinking. That his parents were useless against ghosts. That they couldn't catch the Box Ghost, let alone Danny Phantom. That they were no Red Huntress.

Facing Danny again, Valerie asked, "What did he want?"

Danny shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't even see him. He must have just been passing through on his way to the Ghost Zone."

The muscles in Valerie's face and shoulders eased, the tense air about her beginning to melt away. "He left you alone?"

"Yeah. I mean," Danny forced a chuckle, "what would a superhero want from a loser like me anyway?"

"He's no more a superhero than you are a loser, Danny." She looked down at the newspaper again, her lips pursed in thought. "And just because you didn't see him, doesn't mean he wasn't there…Ghosts are tricky like that…"

"I guess…but I don't want to talk about him right now." He grabbed the paper out of Valerie's hands and flipped it over so Phantom's image was hidden from sight. An uneasy pressure in his shoulders lessened, allowing him to breathe easier. "I actually came over to ask you something…"

Valerie raised an eyebrow, a corner of her lips lifting in a smirk. "Finally over your embarrassment, Fenton?"

Danny's cheeks flushed. "I-I wasn't embarrassed."

"It sure seemed that way. You have been avoiding me ever since our first kiss. You even cancelled our date last weekend."

"I…L-last weekend…" Danny winced, his cheeks burning. He had been thoroughly burnt out on kissing after the…incident last weekend. But this time was special. He had been planning it ever since he and Valerie hooked up.

"There's nothing to be ashamed about, Danny," Valerie continued. "A lot of guys I've dated didn't know what they were doing when it came to kissing."

 _A lot of guys she's dated…_ Danny thought, wincing. _Urgh, feels like I've just been punched in the gut…_

"As long as you're willing to learn and…" her eyelids lowered over her eyes, " _practice_ , you'll get the hang of kissing in no time."

 _Practice?_ Danny swallowed, feeling sick. _I barely survived teaching myself how to kiss! Now I'm supposed to_ practice _?_

Valerie frowned, leaning forward in concern. "Danny?"

"Oh, uh, sorry. I was just thinking to myself." He shook his head forcefully. _I'll worry about it later!_ "I…there is supposed to be a meteor shower tomorrow night. I was wondering if…you would like to watch it with me on Lookout Hill."

Valerie's worried expression blossomed into one of delight, and Danny felt his chest fill with warmth at the sight. "I would love to," she said.

A large, goofy grin spread across Danny's face. "Great! It's supposed to start around nine, so how does eight-thirty sound?"

"It sounds like a date."

The bell rang. Students leaped from their seats, rushing out of the classroom. Valerie placed her hand on Danny's bicep and gently kissed his cheek before following the crowd out the door.

Sam halted beside Danny, took one look at his face and said in a monotone voice, "Judging by the goofy grin, Valerie said yes?"

"She said yes." Danny threw his hands into the air and shouted, "She said _yes_!"

The few students still in the classroom threw him odd looks before continuing on with their own business.

"Nice going, dude!" Tucker said. He high-fived Danny, but as soon as his hand returned to his side, a teasing smirk spread across his lips. "Don't blow it with another lousy kiss."

Danny paled.

"Tucker!" Sam scolded.

"Oh, come on, Sam!" Tucker said, still grinning. "I rarely get to tease Mr. Heartthrob of the school over here about anything important."

"How is his kissing ability important?"

Tucker's smirk grew. "Don't _you_ think it is?"

Sam scowled at him, her cheeks dusted a light pink.

"Tucker's right, Sam," Danny said, his shoulders slumping. "What am I going to do? I can't ruin another date with Valerie!"

"Just stop worrying about it, Danny," Sam said. "There is no secret to being a great kisser. You just have to go with what feels natural, and with enough practice, you'll do just fine."

Danny winced. _There's that word again._

"Sam's right, dude," Tucker said. "Practice makes perfect, and if it's practice you need, then I'm sure Sam can—"

Sam slammed her steel-toed boot on Tucker's foot. Tucker chocked on a scream and hopped around on his uninjured foot, holding the other in his hands. "You had it coming," was all Sam said.

Danny backed away from his friends, edging towards the door. "Uh, I have to go, guys…"

"Ghost trouble?" Sam asked.

"…You could say that."

"We can help—"

"No! I-I can handle it. Besides, I have, like, loads of homework to catch up on." He turned and ran into the hall, shouting over his shoulder, "I'll see you guys Monday!"

Danny sprinted around the teenagers still loitering in the hallways, causing a few to shout as he ran past them—sometimes through them—on his way to the janitor's closet. Danny slipped inside the tiny room, transformed into Danny Phantom, and then shot through the ceiling and into the free open sky. After setting his course for Fenton Works and turning invisible to avoid paparazzi, the hero closed his eyes and buried his hands in his hair, his thoughts in turmoil.

With a top speed reaching over 112 mph, it didn't take long for Danny to reach Fenton Works. He flew into his bedroom and, in a flash of light, landed on the floor as Danny Fenton. The boy stared at his red shoes for a moment before his gaze traveled to the blanket-covered Ghost Catcher.

Swallowing his nerves, the boy grabbed a fistful of the shroud and yanked it off the large device. He stepped back, staring up at the green glowing net, a persistent, uneasy feeling twisting his gut. In less than thirty minutes, this invention had managed to make a mess of his life. Not to the degree of the Portal, of course, but pretty close. He couldn't even stomach the thought of kissing his girlfriend without remembering how…how he had…

Danny shuddered, his face contorted in an expression of disgust. He had kissed himself. He had _enjoyed_ kissing himself.

Groaning, he scrubbed his face with both hands. "I really _am_ a freak…"

He peaked through a crack in his fingers, looking at the mirror across his room. Overcome by a familiar urge, Danny's feet brought him to the mirror. He pulled down the red collar of his turtleneck and traced his finger along the outside curves of his own personal hickey. Because of his ghost powers, the bruise had already started to heal, albeit slower than it should, resulting in a sickly yellow-ish color in the center and a darker brown oval where his ghost half's teeth had marked his human half's skin. Danny's nose wrinkled in disgust, but his finger continued to explore the contours of the vanishing hickey.

This overwhelming urge to see the hickey happened every time he passed a mirror. He knew this fascination stemmed from the part of his personality Phantom had claimed when Danny passed through the Fenton Ghost Catcher last week, but he couldn't identify the _reason_ behind the fascination. That, more than the creation of the hickey, frightened him.

Danny groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. With his hand still tangled in the black strands, Danny activated the change that transformed Danny Fenton into Danny Phantom. He watched as his hair became as white as snow and his eyes changed from pale blue to neon green, and upon staring into his altered reflection, Danny felt the uneasiness in his gut grow.

Danny released his hair and hooked his finger in the white collar of his jumpsuit. He took a deep breath and then pulled it down, revealing pale, unblemished skin where the hickey had been on his human form. Scowling, he jerked his hand away. His wounds always transferred through his forms. Always. Whatever injuries his ghost form sustains, his human form receives and vice versa.

Looking over his shoulder at the Ghost Catcher again, Danny shivered. It scared him, what something as innocent looking as a dream catcher could do to him. If he could _understand_ what had happened last time, it wouldn't be as frightening, but he didn't know if the mess the kiss had descended into was just another side effect of the Catcher, or if it was something else. Something he didn't want to even think about.

According to Valerie and Sam, though, he didn't just need to know _how_ to kiss. He had to _practice_ kissing. As loath as he was to admit it to himself, he really had…enjoyed the kiss. If _he_ had enjoyed it, would Valerie? He could perhaps take the experience and knowledge he had gained last time and hope it satisfies Valerie.

But if it wasn't enough…if she laughed at him again…

Danny groaned and dug the heels of his hands into his eyes. He couldn't face that again. Her laughter—and later everyone's teasing remarks—tore at Danny's heart and made him feel ill. It made him feel more ill than even the thought of kissing himself did.

"I—" Danny took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay. I can do this. Just this once. Just separate, get it over with, remerge, and spend the rest of my life never thinking about this again. _Ever_."

A second deep breath later, Danny faced the Ghost Catcher. He squared his shoulders, lifted his chin, and, before he could allow himself time to reconsider, jumped through the net. The last sound Danny heard was his scream issuing from two separate mouths.

* * *

Dizziness struck Phantom as he separated from Fenton, his vision swirling as he fought to regain a semblance of self. He saw Fenton's black hair below him and quickly grabbed his arms before the earthbound boy could plummet to the floor like last time. Fenton thrashed against his hold, causing Phantom sway even more unsteadily in the air.

"Let go!" Fenton shouted. "Stop touching me! Let _go_!" His fist collided with Phantom's jaw, and the ghost grunted in shock, accidentally releasing Fenton. The human gasped as he fell, yelped when he collided with the floor, and lay there, groaning, as pain and dizziness assaulted him.

Phantom rubbed his sore chin. "I was merely trying to be helpful."

"I don't need your help," Fenton muttered into the floor.

Phantom rolled his eyes and floated further away from the human boy. He stared down at his other half warily, a look that was soon returned once Fenton picked himself up. "Well, this is…unexpected."

"You're telling me!" Fenton fisted clumps of his black hair and began pacing in chaotic circles. "I can't believe we did this! _Again_! I thought we agreed not to make a habit of this?"

"Apparently, combined, we didn't agree as much as we thought."

Fenton snorted. "Gee, I wonder whose fault _that_ is…"

Although he had mumbled it, Phantom heard the accusation in his tone. He raised an eyebrow. "You're blaming _me_ for this?"

" _No_ , I'm blaming the Grim Reaper. Of course I'm blaming you! You gave me a _freaking hickey_!"

"You _asked_ for that 'freaking hickey'," Phantom said, eyes narrowing. "And if I'm not mistaken, you received far more pleasure from the act than I."

Fenton's face lit up like a stop light. The boy sputtered incoherently, his arms performing wild gestures that made less sense than his words. Phantom crossed his own arms over his chest and stared down at his human self, smirking slightly. Fenton could deny it all he wanted, but he and Phantom had been one less than a minute ago. Phantom knew on an intimate level just how much Fenton had enjoyed it.

Fenton noticed Phantom's smirk and snapped his own mouth shut. Scowling, he looked away, reminding Phantom more of a disgruntled child than of the embarrassed half of hero. "You were still the one fascinated by the hickey," Fenton grumbled. "Always making us look at it and…" He paused and glanced at Phantom out of the corner of his eyes. "Why _were_ you so fascinated?"

"We were the same person moments ago. Shouldn't you know the answer to that yourself?"

"Yeah, but it was confusing then and even more so now. Is it some sort of ghost thing?"

Phantom shrugged. "It could be for all I know. I don't fully understand it myself. All I know is that…the notion that I can…touch and leave evidence of that touch on the half of me that _survived_ the accident…that I am not just…" He sighed, rubbing his arms. "The reason for my fascination is not something that can be easily explained, Fenton."

"It's not going to make you…um…"

Phantom arched an eyebrow. "Won't make me what?"

"Make you…uh…" Again, odd hand gestures.

"…Kiss you?"

"No—well, yeah, but I mean, it won't make you, uh, take it as far as last time, will it?"

Phantom's eyebrows lowered over his eyes, a mischievous smirk shaping his lips. "It's a possibility. If things become as heated as last time, I may be unable to control myself."

Fenton flushed all the way to his hairline. He stumbled back a step, shaking his head wildly as he frantically tried to articulate full sentences.

Phantom chuckled at his reaction. "Teasing, Fenton. Only teasing."

His face slowly returning to its natural hue, Fenton glared at his ghost half and growled, "Stop _doing_ that."

"But it's fun to watch your reaction."

"Yeah, because I live to entertain you…"

Phantom's eyes crinkled at the sides as he once again smiled teasingly. "Don't you?"

Fenton shook his head forcefully. "This is serious, Phantom! If we're going to practice, then we can't let things go as far as last time."

"Why not? We both enjoyed it."

"Th-that's not the point! Y-you were going to t-t-touch…a-and I…I-I would have…"

The smile slipped from Phantom's face. "And you would have let me," he finished softly.

Fenton scowled down at his shoes, a blush coloring from his neck to the tips of his ears. "This is all your fault…"

"It takes two people to kiss. It only takes one to say no."

"But I did—"

"You voiced some doubt, but you did not push me away."

The human grimaced. "I…" He took a deep breath and then said, "Okay. Okay, we need some ground rules this time. Restrictions."

Phantom frowned. "Restrictions?"

"Yeah, like—"

"I am not going to restrict myself," Phantom said. "If we restrict our learning now then we may be hampered by it later on. Just because you're afraid of—"

Fenton recoiled for an instant and then snapped into defensive mode, blue eyes narrowed and his fists clenched at his side. "I'm not afraid! I just want some boundaries!"

"Yes, but you want those boundaries because you are afraid of what might happen if we don't have them. You don't trust yourself to say no because you liked what we did last time. You _enjoyed_ it. You are _afraid_ you will enjoy it again."

Fenton gaped like an angry fish, his mind unable to supply the words he needed to refute Phantom's claim. Smirking, Phantom landed on the floor in front of Fenton, and the human tensed like he wanted to jump back. Phantom leaned inches away from his face, but still Fenton's pride kept him immobile, the desire to prove he wasn't a coward stronger than the desire to avoid Phantom's touch.

"The difference between you and me, Fenton," Phantom said, lowering his voice for effect, "is that I don't shy away from something just because it frightens me." He flashed the human a wicked grin full of teeth. "I face it head on."

Fenton's face darkened. The boy's jaw tightened as he ground his teeth together, his eyes flashing with emotion even without a ghostly glow to aid them.

Phantom stared into those blue eyes, intrigued, before closing his own and standing up straight. "But if you are unable to face your fears—"

"If I'm not allowed boundaries, then _I_ want to be in control of the kiss."

For a moment, Phantom froze, his mouth hanging open. Then he snapped it shut and glared at his human half. "No."

"You were in charge last time and look where that got us!"

"It was our first real experience," Phantom said. "I was simply overwhelmed!"

"Overwhelmed? You were seconds away from shoving your hand down my pants!"

"It's not like we haven't masturbated before!"

"M-m _-masturbated_?" Fenton's voice cracked on the word.

Phantom smirked impishly, amused as his human self continued to splutter. "It's an apt description of what we were about to do. Unless you prefer to believe we are separate beings, in which case it would be more accurate to call it a _hand-job_."

Fenton sputtered, his face as red as Phantom had ever seen it. _"_ What is the _matter_ with you? Do you even _hear_ yourself?"

"Do you disagree? You said earlier that you would not have stopped me from—"

" _Shut up_!" Fenton clamped his hands over his ears and squeezed his eyes shut. "Shut up, shut up, shut _up_!"

Phantom threw his head back and laughed. Fenton scowled and clamped his hands harder over his ears, trying to block out the sound of the other boy's amusement.

Still chuckling, Phantom grabbed Fenton's wrists and forced them away from his ears. He smiled as Fenton glared at him. "If you expect to lead me in a kiss, Fenton, then you can't be shy about this."

Fenton blinked, staring at him uncertainly. "You're…you'll let me lead?"

"Why not? It may be fun." Phantom released Fenton's wrists. "Just this once, though. Next time, I dominate."

"Uh, no, because there won't be a next time."

Phantom lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. "If you say so."

Fenton scowled at him. "There won't be!"

"If you say so."

"There _won't_ be, Phantom!"

Phantom let his smirk talk for him.

Fenton scowled at him a while longer before crossing his arms and looking away with a huff. "There better not be…"

"Let us worry about _this_ moment in time," Phantom said. He grabbed Fenton's chin and forced the human to look at him again. "You should always maintain eye-contact with the person you are about to kiss, Fenton."

Fenton flushed to the tips of his ears. He slapped Phantom's hand away and said, "Don't rush me."

"I'm not. I'm merely offering guidance." The ghost cocked his head to the side as Fenton once again turned away. " _Eye-contact_. Shyness becomes _girls_ , Fenton."

Grumbling something about impatient ghosts, Fenton faced Phantom again and stared into the ghost's green eyes. Although a blush quickly stained his cheeks, the boy raised his chin defiantly and his gaze remained unwavering.

"Good, but," Phantom placed a hand on Fenton's warm shoulder, "this is not a competition. Relax yourself."

Fenton breathed in and out steadily, and soon the rigid shoulder beneath Phantom's hand loosened, becoming limp and flexible. Fenton lowered his chin to a normal angle but narrowed his eyes slightly, trading defiance for determination. The determined look on his human half's face awoke something in Phantom's core, and the ghost unconsciously shifted a little closer to him.

"Good," Phantom said. "Now your favorite part. Physical contact." To show what he meant, Phantom drummed his fingers against Fenton's shoulder blade.

The human shifted on his feet, frowning slightly. He placed his hand on Phantom's opposing shoulder, mirroring Phantom's arrangement, but then he trailed his warm hand along the curve of Phantom's neck until he cupped the base of his head, his fingers combing through the ghost's white hair and his thumb stroking his cold skin.

"Okay…" Phantom licked his lips. His eyelids lowered over his eyes, and Fenton unknowingly copied the action. Swallowing, the ghost whispered, "Whenever you are ready…"

Fenton stared into his eyes, hesitating, and Phantom had to clamp down on the urge to force his other into the kiss already. Fenton drifted towards the ghost until his warm lips brushed against Phantom's. The human paused, his hot breath tickling Phantom's mouth. Phantom returned Fenton's half-lidded gaze, his other's blue eyes centimeters away from his own, and tried to ignore the searing heat that was suddenly radiating from Fenton's hand and shoulder.

Fenton gasped and jerked away from Phantom, shivering slightly. "What the…"

"Why—" Phantom froze, staring down at the blue vapor emanating from his mouth. "Crap…"

A relieved smile split Fenton's lips. "Ghost alert! Guess that's the end of our first and last kissing practice!" His hand slipped from Phantom's neck, and he turned around and marched toward the Fenton Ghost Catcher, a bounce in his steps. "We'll just have to merge back and—"

Phantom flew in front of Fenton and grabbed the other boy's shoulders. "I have a better idea." Fenton tensed beneath his hands, staring at him warily. Phantom smirked. " _I_ will go capture the ghost while _you_ stay here and work on our homework. We can continue where we left off once I return."

"What?" Fenton traded his wary stare for wide-eyed panic. "No! Tha-that's not fair! I don't want to do homework!"

"We would have to do it anyway," Phantom pointed out. "This way, only one of us has to suffer."

"Yeah, _me_!"

"Better hope I return soon then," Phantom said and then flew towards their window.

"Only so that I can kick your—"

Phantom phased through the window, cutting off the rest of Fenton's speech. He smirked at his human self through the windowpane and performed an exaggerated wink. Fenton scowled, going so far as to bare his teeth at his ghost half. He reached for the closest thing at hand—a pencil—and chucked it at the window. Phantom laughed as it bounced harmlessly off the glass, and, with a taunting flick of his ghost tail, flew off in search of the ghost who had interrupted them.

* * *

Once Phantom landed safely on his bedroom floor, he dropped his invisibility and the thermos he held loosely in his hand. "I apologize, Fenton," he said as he rubbed his eyes. "I didn't mean to leave you all day. Johnny refused to return to his girlfriend, and…"

A faint snore interrupted him. Frowning, Phantom lowered his hands and stared at his human half. Fenton was draped over their desk, his head using their math book as his pillow and drool oozing from his mouth onto the pages. Despite the bright light shining on his face from the table lamp, Fenton appeared fast asleep and dead to the world.

Phantom glanced at their alarm clock and sighed when he saw it was an hour past curfew. Curfew meant little to parentless Danny Phantom, but Danny Fenton would surely lecture the ghost for leaving him with all the homework.

It wasn't Phantom's fault, though. Johnny had led Phantom on a wild chase through town, randomly ordering his shadow to attack _this_ lamp post or _that_ bystander whenever Phantom came close to catching him. Perhaps he was just unused to fighting ghosts while separate from his human half, but capturing Johnny and his shadow had taken far longer than Phantom expected. Another hour had been lost trying to lose the paparazzi, a difficult task when one can no longer become an invisible nobody…

A particularly loud snore brought Phantom's attention back to Fenton. Phantom's lips quirked up in an amused half-smile when he saw his other feebly trying to escape the light shining into his eyes. The ghost floated over to the desk and flicked the light off for him, instantly descending the room into darkness.

Fenton exhaled softly and snuggled against the pages of his math book. The ethereal glow Phantom produced gave a soft radiance to the objects closest to him, but the sleeping human didn't seem to notice the dim light highlighting his facial features. Phantom pursed his lips, considering the human half of himself for a moment, wondering how…strange it was to see himself from a different point of view.

Phantom's gaze lowered to Fenton's neck, where the top half of the hickey had escaped the confines of the red cloth. The ghost frowned. He shook his head a second later, and, before his thoughts could wander again, wrapped an arm around Fenton's back. He hooked his other arm under Fenton's knees, and after making a slight adjustment to his position, stood up with Fenton in his arms.

Fenton's head lolled against Phantom's chest, his black hair tickling Phantom's neck. Fenton shivered slightly, but for Phantom it felt like he held a too-warm heating pad. Not as hot as earlier when his ghost sense went off, but hot enough to be uncomfortable. Within seconds, however, the heat became less noticeable and Fenton's shivers less severe as Fenton's body heat warmed Phantom's skin and Phantom's core cooled Fenton's body temperature.

Fenton mumbled something unintelligible as he nestled his face against Phantom's chest. Rolling his eyes at his sleeping half's behavior, Phantom nevertheless allowed the other boy to drool on his suit. The ghost flew over to their bed and, gently, lowered Fenton onto the mattress. Using his intangibility, Phantom pulled the blanket out from beneath Fenton's body and then draped it over the human's form.

The only half of Danny that required sleep taken care of, Phantom floated back to the desk. Much as he didn't want to, he supposed it was only fair that he finish whatever homework that remained uncompleted. Technically speaking, it was his homework as well. The drool-drenched Algebra homework, however, could be dealt with later.

With Fenton's snores as background noise, Phantom grabbed the Earth Science book and began reading the assigned chapter.


	3. Froot Loops

* * *

" _The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them."_ ~ Thomas Merton

* * *

"Hey," a voice whispered, "wake up."

As the voice spoke, cold air gusted across Fenton's ear. He shivered and lifted his blanket over his head, smothering himself in a warm cocoon. He snuggled against his pillow, exhaling softly.

"Cute," the voice said, amused, "but that won't stop me from waking you by any means necessary."

The human garbled a sentence even he didn't understand.

"I warned you."

Hands as cold as ice pierced his warm cocoon and settled on the human's stomach. Fenton's eyes snapped open and he sprung forward, his hands automatically latching onto the cold arms that disappeared halfway through his blanket.

Phantom smiled, his eyes crinkling at the sides. "Morning, sunshine." His fingers wiggled against Fenton's belly, and he smirked as the human shivered from the cold. "Sleep well?"

"What? What time…?" Fenton paused. Less than two inches away, glowing green eyes stared into his own. Snow white strands dangled in front of the ghost's face and blended with Fenton's black hair, tickling the human boy's cheeks and forehead. Heat flooded Fenton's face and an odd squeak escaped his lips.

Phantom laughed, but he obediently backed away. As soon as his hands left Fenton's stomach, the human hugged the blankets to himself and concentrated on warming the chill left behind by the ghost. Phantom settled on the bed beside Fenton, his legs crossed.

"It's almost noon," he answered. He cocked his head to the side, thoughtful as he considered Fenton from a different angle. "You know, you talk in your sleep. And snore…and drool. It's quite disgusting."

Fenton grimaced, feeling more than a little sick. "You watched me _sleep_?"

The ghost snorted through his nose. "You're not that interesting, Fenton. I watched for all of two minutes, and only that long because I was able to engage you in conversation." Phantom's lips lifted in a smirk. "And for the record, no. I don't know why seven ate nine, but I'm fairly sure the X had nothing to do with it."

Fenton stared at him, slowly blinking. "… _What_?"

The ghost laughed. "It's unimportant, Fenton, don't stress yourself." The smirk shrank into a small smile. "You will stress yourself enough today, I'm sure."

"Stress myself? Why would…" Fenton blinked and then his eyes widened. He was _literally_ sitting beside himself. His ghost half existed _apart_ from him. Which meant they…

Suddenly the companionable distance between him and the other boy felt about as far apart as a pencil width.

Phantom reacted to Fenton's unease before Fenton could push either one of them off the bed. The ghost floated up and away from the mattress, and the tense set of Fenton's shoulders eased, the boy breathing a little easier.

The ghost boy sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "We must work on this 'space issue' you have…" His legs blended together to form his ghost tail, which then proceeded to flick back and forth in a thoughtful manner reminiscent of Phantom's expression.

"Yeah," Fenton said as he rolled his eyes. "You do that while I go eat." He threw his blankets aside and flinched when he considered how he must have ended up in bed last night. Did the ghost not understand personal boundaries at all?

"Ah, yes. Breakfast." Phantom nodded toward their desk. "I brought it up for you to speed things along."

Fenton cringed. He would much rather slow things down, but judging by the smirk Phantom threw his way, the ghost knew his intentions and would make such delaying tactics difficult. "Jerk," he muttered.

"I thought I was being rather helpful."

"That's exactly why you're a jerk."

Phantom chuckled and moved aside, allowing Fenton to walk past him. "I also finished the rest of our homework after you fell asleep last night, so you don't have to worry about completing it."

"…Eager much?" Fenton lowered himself into the chair, sighing. There went another distraction. Granted, working on homework with Phantom had the potential to be just as awkward, but at least they wouldn't have to…touch each other.

Phantom's eyebrows lowered over his eyes. "I am eager to see this through so we can merge back, yes." The ghost floated over to the desk so that he could continue the conversation face-to-face. Fenton grimaced and scooted his soggy bowl of cereal—and his chair—further away from Phantom. Said ghost rolled his eyes. "Fun as your company is, Fenton, I would much rather be kissing Valerie." He spread his arms out on either side. "As I stand right now, I am more likely to receive a kiss from her gun…"

"You're not exactly standing," Fenton said, gesturing with his spoon at the ghost's transparent tail.

The tail separated into two legs again. Phantom dropped onto his feet and leaned his hip against the desk's edge. He crossed his arms over his chest, smirking cockily down at Fenton. "Better?"

Fenton scowled, edging away from his other self. "What would be better is if you'd stop being so…flirty."

"Flirty?" Phantom's brow creased as he considered the word. "Yes, I suppose I am…but I only do it to tease you, Fenton. Your reactions are quite amusing."

"Gee, good to know I am so entertaining..."

"It's better than being boring," Phantom pointed out.

"Yeah, well, layoff a bit. You're creeping me out…"

"I'll try." Fenton lifted a spoon full of brightly colored cereal to his mouth, and the playful smirk Fenton had come to dread spread across Phantom's lips. "You're going to taste like Froot Loops."

Fenton froze, the spoon in his mouth, and even Phantom's smile fell as he realized a second meaning was attached to his words. Fenton chocked a little and then spat the cereal back into the bowl. He pushed it to the side, grimacing. "Lost my appetite…"

"I doubt the Fruitloop actually tastes like Froot Loops," Phantom said, cautious.

"I don't care. I'm not eating them."

Phantom stared at him in disbelief, eyebrows arching up his forehead. "I only meant it as a joke, Fenton. If anything, I should be the one objecting since I'm the one who will be kissing you, and will therefore be exposed to a Froot Loop flavor."

Of course, Phantom just had to bring the kissing thing up. Fenton flushed, scowling at the desktop. "I'm not eating them."

Phantom shook his head, sighing. "Whatever, I'm not about to force you." He set his hands on the desk and leaned towards Fenton, once again smirking. "Of course you realize that once you are finished with breakfast, there will be nothing preventing us from practicing."

Fenton leaned away from him, trying to regain the distance between them. He glanced at the bowl. Then glared at the ghost. Silently, he dragged the bowl back toward himself.

Phantom's smirk grew, but he didn't move from his position. "I don't know whether to be pleased or insulted."

"How about you just stop talking?" Fenton suggested.

Phantom sighed. He finally straightened from the desk and then ran a hand through his hair. "Unlike you, Fenton," he said, sounding tired, "I don't require sleep. I have been active all night with absolutely _nothing_ to do. Excuse me, but I am _bored_."

"You could have flown around the city. You know, patrol…your _job_."

"I _did_ …but the Phans apparently have some sort of Night Watch Unit…"

It was Fenton's turn to smirk at the ghost, and boy did it feel good. "Afraid of a few little girls, Phantom?" he questioned.

"Hah!" Phantom shouted. "Anybody who stays up past midnight in the mere hopes of catching a _glimpse_ of me is insane, and is therefore neither little nor harmless."

"Oh. Well, sucks to be you then."

"You _are_ me."

Fenton's smirk grew. "Not right now, I'm not."

The glare Phantom sent him for that comment made Fenton grin like a Cheshire cat, feeling smug and triumphant for the first time since they separated. If Phantom felt that way every time he 'flirted' with Fenton, it was no wonder the ghost was so impossible to deal with. That feeling was addicting.

"Eat your Froot Loops," Phantom growled.

Fenton snickered, but dutifully returned to his breakfast. At first, Phantom continued to glare at him as he ate, but then the ghost's gaze began to wander and his body soon followed. Relieved as he was not to have the other boy hovering over his shoulder, Fenton felt his unease grow. The ghost made no _noise._

 _I don't trust myself,_ Fenton thought dryly, and then twisted in his seat so he could keep his eye on Phantom while he munched on his cereal. The ghost cast him annoyed glances occasionally, but he otherwise contented himself with staring out the window. Fenton supposed the outside was more interesting than the room Phantom had been confined in all night, and he soon began to focus more on eating his cereal than on watching his ghost half stare out a window.

After a few minutes had passed, Fenton heard Phantom murmur, "I hope this clears up before our date…"

"Hmm?" Fenton lifted the bowl to his lips and slurped the milk.

Phantom pointed at the sky. "The weather report said it would be partly cloudy today," he said, "but only a few patches of sky are visible right now. I'm worried the weather might ruin our date with Valerie."

Fenton set the empty bowl aside and licked milk from his lips. He pushed his chair back and walked over to stand beside his ghost half. Like Phantom had said, a large portion of the sky was covered by bulky clouds, but Fenton could see darker clouds on the horizon.

"Maybe it will miss us," he said hopefully.

"Maybe," Phantom said softly.

The ghost shifted on his feet, and his cold arm brushed against Fenton's. The sudden icy contact was like a jolt to Fenton's system, causing his lungs to stutter. He jerked away from the other boy and almost tripped in his rush to put more distance between them. Phantom looked at him, an eyebrow slowly arching up his forehead.

Fenton blushed, his breathing fast. "I, uh…i-if we have to cancel our date with Valerie, then there's really no point in… _this_ ," he gestured at himself and Phantom, "is there?"

Phantom continued to stare at him, which really didn't help cool Fenton's face. "There's no guarantee the clouds will block our view of the meteor show, Fenton, and even if they do, it is more sensible to practice anyway on the chance Valerie is willing to do something else for our date."

"Yeah, but…" Fenton wracked his brain, trying to find the words he needed to convince his ghost self. "B-but I would rather watch the meteor shower, and, and…"

Phantom's look darkened. "So long as Valerie is there, I'm sure we will enjoy whatever date we go on, even if it has nothing to do with space."

"Th-then…can't we just go on the date and _not_ practice?"

Phantom crossed his arms over his chest, truly frowning now. "We already went over this, Fenton. Or have you forgotten how _you_ were about to kiss _me_ yesterday?"

A blush exploded across Fenton's cheeks, darker than the one before it. "Th-that—I wasn't—I…Y-you cheated! You used some sort of mind game on me!"

"I only alluded to you being a coward." The ghost rolled his green eyes. "Your pride did the rest."

"B-but I— _you_ —" Fenton snapped his mouth shut and looked away, scowling. He hated how his ghost half had a counter for everything while he always ended up tongue-tied. It wasn't fair. They were supposed to be the same person, so why did _Phantom_ always get the clever comebacks?

Phantom titled his head to the side, still staring at him, but his gaze had become thoughtful. Scrutinizing. "We are the only ones who will know, and neither one of us will judge the other. You're afraid we'll take things too far, so I have agreed to give you control. We discussed all of this already…why are you still so reluctant?"

Fenton grimaced, but kept his face turned away from his ghost. "You know why."

"Yes, you feel our actions are morally wrong," Phantom said slowly. "But…I don't understand why you feel it's wrong…just like you don't understand my fascination." He released a dry laugh. "You would think we'd understand each other better, seeing as how we are the same person."

Fenton's lips quirked into a half-smile. "Jazz used to say you can't truly know yourself until you see yourself through another's eyes."

"She may have the right of it." Phantom leaned his shoulder and his head against the wall, smirking at Fenton as white strands of hair shadowed his eyes. "You realize what that implies, of course."

The smile vanished from Fenton's face. "That…we…"

"That we are separate individuals," Phantom finished for him. "At least for the time being. The sooner you accept our separation, Fenton, the sooner we can finish this and merge back into a complete person."

He stood up from the wall, his sudden action snapping Fenton's gaze back on him. The ghost held his gaze a few moments before Fenton tore his away in favor of staring out the window.

"I agreed to let you dominate this time," Phantom said as if Fenton were still facing him, "but if you take too long to initiate the kiss, I will do it for you." He strode past Fenton, purposefully brushing his cold arm against Fenton's, and the human had to fist his hands at his sides to stop his kneejerk reaction at the touch.

Fenton rubbed the chill from his arm and glared over his shoulder at his ghost half. Phantom leaned against the Ghost Catcher's pole, lifted his chin and returned Fenton's glare with a cocky smirk. Like he was daring him. Challenging him.

Scowling, Fenton faced the window again. He felt Phantom's eyes on him, but he ignored it the best he could. He knew he had to kiss Phantom if he wanted life to return to normal, he knew the ghost wouldn't merge again until he was satisfied with their kissing prowess, but he didn't _want_ to kiss Phantom. Just the thought made his stomach lurch unpleasantly. It was like kissing a…a twin brother or something.

Images and sensations from their last kiss flashed through Fenton's mind, causing an involuntary shiver to course up his spine.

 _Okay,_ he thought with a grimace, _kissing Phantom is nothing like kissing a brother…but it should be!_

Fenton crossed his arms over his chest, suppressing shivers and memories in equal parts. He could still feel Phantom's gaze on him, and it was making the small hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. The whole situation was surreal. He wanted it to end.

"Everything all right, Fenton?"

"Fine," he spat.

Fenton heard the other boy sigh, the exhale sounding as frustrated as Fenton felt. He waited for Phantom to say something flirtatious or maybe something derogatory to compel him into action, but after a few seconds, Fenton glanced over his shoulder at his silent ghost half. Phantom stared back at him, an eyebrow poised, but otherwise waiting for Fenton to act.

A heated stirring in his veins made Fenton scowl at his ghost half. "Stop that."

The other boy blinked. "I'm not doing anything."

"You are too, now stop it!"

Phantom stared at him a while longer before his lips twitched. "You're losing it, Fenton."

"It's your fault!"

For Fenton, the amused smile that finally lifted Phantom's lips was the opposite of satisfying. "I suppose it is. What are you going to do about it?"

" _Me_? You're the cause of it!"

"And what exactly is 'it', Fenton?"

"I—it's—gah! You know what it is!"

"Well, I certainly have a good guess as to what 'it' is." Phantom dropped his hands at his sides and sauntered over to Fenton. Fenton's own hands tightened around his biceps and he took a hesitant step back before he held his ground, refusing to be cornered against the wall.

"'It'," Phantom said as he came closer, "is a discomfort in your stomach that makes you feel as if you are about to throw up. 'It' is a poison in your veins that makes you feel uncomfortable in your own skin. 'It' happens every time you look at me or I look at you." He now stood less than a foot away, infuriatingly casual in stance whereas Fenton felt like a tight spring about to burst. "Am I right?"

"No!"

"No?" The ghost braced his forearm against the wall above Fenton's head, bringing his face so close to Fenton's the human could see the different shades of green in his eyes. It was automatic, instinctual, for Fenton to stumble back a step, which brought him exactly where he didn't want to be; cornered against the wall.

Fenton knew the cold radiating off Phantom was produced by Phantom's core, that the ghost had to release it to keep his core from freezing over, but Fenton's firsthand knowledge of the process couldn't stop the shivers from crawling along his skin. This close to the ghost, the cold enveloped Fenton, encased him in an icy shroud. Phantom's cold aura smothered Fenton as completely as if he was enveloped in the other boy's arms.

"N-no," Fenton repeated, and then cursed himself for stuttering. Phantom's smile grew, prompting Fenton to glower at him. "You said you would let me lead."

"I did," Phantom agreed, "but I'm not kissing you right now am I? I'm merely…prompting you."

"Then do that over there. _Away_ from me."

"It's not as effective over there." Although the cocky smile and the casual stance remained, Fenton noticed Phantom's eyes narrowed slightly. "Like I said yesterday, Fenton. You can't be shy about this. Be bold; take action."

"I can't—"

"No," Phantom said. "No doubts. Stop thinking about what's right and what's wrong and just do it." The ghost leaned a little closer, and Fenton's hands almost reached out to halt his progress before the human clamped down on the instinct. He didn't want to touch Phantom if he could help it. "I'm not going to wait forever, Fenton."

Fenton swallowed. Phantom's commanding tone made all those symptoms he had just listed erupt into action. Fenton didn't like it, but the ghost refused to move and he couldn't bring himself to move away either. Uncomfortable as those sensations were, they kept Fenton immobile, unable to escape Phantom's gaze.

 _If I do throw up,_ Fenton thought fiercely, _I'm aiming for his boots._

"Fenton…"

Fenton's heart beat a little faster at the warning in the other boy's tone. He had to kiss Phantom now or the ghost would kiss him. He lost on both accounts, but if he kissed Phantom, he could at least control how far it went. Fenton lowered his gaze to Phantom's lips, and unconsciously licked his own.

 _This is so messed up!_ I'm _messed up! Oh man…_ He took a deep breath. _Calm down, Danny. You can do this._ Another deep breath. _Nobody will ever know. Just get it over with. Wait…how do I even_ start _?_

It was barely there, barely visible, but Fenton saw Phantom's lips start to turn down, and then he felt the cold aura amplify slightly as the ghost shifted towards him. Phantom was done waiting. He was going to kiss him.

Fenton panicked. He threw his arms around the other boy's neck, and before Phantom could do more than blink, slammed their lips together.

Neither one were prepared for the collision. It hurt, and Fenton knew he had done something wrong. Phantom was tense beneath his hands and against his lips. He had definitely done something wrong.

Phantom's eyes were wide as they stared into Fenton's, but as contact between their lips continued, Phantom's eyes returned to normal sizes. Staring into those eyes, Fenton felt himself begin to relax. Phantom wasn't making a move to deepen the kiss. He wasn't going to steal control. He would still let Fenton determine how far they went.

Fenton's vice grip on Phantom's neck loosened, and in response, the ghost's shoulders relaxed marginally. Fenton felt the other boy's lips soften against his and tried to lessen the almost painful pressure between them. Phantom's right hand, the one not braced against the wall, settled on Fenton's hip, and the human repressed a shudder at the cold touch.

 _I'm kissing myself,_ Fenton thought. He screwed his eyes shut, unwilling to stare into those green eyes any longer. _This is so wrong. So very, very wrong._ He shifted on his feet, causing their lips to slide almost pleasantly against each other. _Oh man, oh man, oh man! What do I do now? I should have let Phantom lead—I don't know how to do this! I don't want to do this!_

Phantom withdrew from the kiss. The loss of contact was so sudden Fenton followed his lips, taking a half-step forward before regaining control. He stared at his ghost self, blinking repeatedly. "W-what? Did I—"

Phantom shook his head. "You need to stop thinking so hard." The cold hand on Fenton's hip shifted to his back and then proceeded to stroke his spine in a soothing motion. "Do what comes naturally."

The hand at his back was distracting, but Fenton managed a small glare. "This comes naturally for you, not me."

"Hmm." Phantom half-smiled, an odd combination of amusement and curiosity in his expression. "I wonder why that is…"

Fenton blinked and then began to frown.

Before Fenton could think of a response, Phantom laid his forehead against his. The human boy reflexively jerked back, but the hand on his spine kept him firmly in place. Phantom's green eyes stared straight into Fenton's, and Fenton once again noticed the various shades of green in his irises. The dim glow the ghost naturally produced seemed concentrated around the irises, almost seeming to affect the green hues.

"Are you going to stare at me all day?" Phantom asked, and Fenton focused on the boy behind the eyes. "Or are you going to try again?"

Fenton blushed. He had to kiss Phantom again, but this time he had to do it right. _But how do I do it right?_ he wondered. _I don't know what—No. No, I can do this._

He took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. The warm air ghosted across Phantom's cold lips, and Fenton saw the ghost's eyes flicker. It was small, barely noticeable. Fenton didn't know if it meant anything or not, but then Phantom's eyelids lowered, and somehow, the atmosphere between them became heavy. Fenton felt his own eyelids grow heavy in response, and he was suddenly very aware of the cold hands on his back and the icy body in front of him.

"Don't think," Phantom whispered, his own cold breath brushing Fenton's lips.

Fenton shivered, experiencing what Phantom had moments ago. Phantom's eyes were still staring into Fenton's, those burning eyes stealing his thoughts more effectively than Phantom's words. Thoughts of how wrong it was to kiss himself were shoved out of his mind as Fenton threaded his fingers through Phantom's white hair and lifted his chin. This time their lips met in a feather light kiss that lasted a few moments, Fenton adjusting to the feel of cold lips pressed against his again.

A stray feeling of trepidation entered his consciousness, but Fenton quickly shoved it away, afraid he'd freeze up if he considered what he was doing. Instead, he opened his mouth and touched the tip of his tongue against Phantom's cold lips, flinching only slightly. The ghost parted them, and, after a second's hesitation, Fenton swept his tongue inside the other boy's mouth.

Phantom straightened from his bent position, and the hand that had been braced against the wall came to rest on Fenton's upper back, enfolding Fenton in a loose hold. A shiver coursed down Fenton's spine as Phantom's tongue trailed along his.

Recalling his experience from last time, Fenton wrapped his tongue around the ghost's and sucked. Phantom inhaled sharply, his fingers convulsing in Fenton's shirt. A chuckle rumbled in Fenton's chest until Phantom's hand drifted to his lower back and pulled Fenton flush against the ghost boy's body. Fenton's breathing faltered for a second, his body tensing. His hesitance allowed Phantom an opening, and before he knew it, the human found himself pinned against the wall with a cold tongue sweeping the roof of his mouth.

Fenton moaned, digging his fingers into Phantom's scalp. Icy fingers found their way beneath his shirt, and Fenton shivered as Phantom traced them along his spinal cord. For a moment, Fenton fell limp in Phantom's embrace, surrendering to the sensations the other boy produced. He trailed a hand down Phantom's chest, caressing the muscles he felt beneath the skintight suit. A moan escaped the ghost, his clever tongue faltering.

The sound tickled Fenton's ears, and the boy echoed it without thinking, but then Phantom's tongue retreated into his own mouth as Phantom began to withdraw from the kiss. Fenton made an odd noise in protest and his teeth slid across Phantom's bottom lip as the ghost pulled away.

Fenton blinked his eyes open, feeling slightly disoriented. He saw Phantom staring at him through heavy lidded eyes, a heated stare Fenton unknowingly returned. Then his thoughts caught up with him and a blush burned his face.

Phantom smiled, but Fenton saw a light dusting of pink on the ghost's own pale cheeks. "And you accused me of having no control."

Sputtering incoherently, Fenton squirmed against Phantom embrace, but Phantom's hold on his waist tightened, holding him firmly in place. Phantom's glowing green eyes burned into Fenton's, aggravating the blush. Unable to escape, Fenton clasped his hands over his face, _anything_ to block out the other's stare.

"Don't hide now," Phantom said. "That was a fine kiss."

Fenton groaned. "Oh man…what did I just _do_ …?"

Phantom sighed, cold air gusting across the back of Fenton's hands. "You kissed me, and we enjoyed it."

Another groan, this time louder.

He couldn't see it, but Fenton sensed Phantom was rolling his eyes at him. "Get over it, Fenton. We're not finished yet."

Fenton jerked his head out of his hands, staring at Phantom with large eyes. " _What_?"

"We are supposed to _practice_ ," Phantom said, and Fenton heard the wicked amusement in his voice, "which means we must kiss _multiple_ times."

"B-b-but—"

Phantom laid his forehead against Fenton's again, and the human's mouth snapped shut. "The more used to this we become, Fenton, the less likely we are to lose control." He stared at Fenton's dismayed expression a moment and then said in a softer voice, "Would you like me to lead this time?"

Fenton opened his mouth, ready to shout a refusal, but the gentle look in Phantom's eyes made him pause. Instead, Fenton said in an equally soft voice, "Why?"

"Aside from the fact that you had no more control over yourself than I did—" Fenton winced. "—you are uncomfortable in the leading role…and in kissing me in general. I thought it would be easier on you if I was in control of the kiss. This way, you wouldn't have to agonize over your own actions."

"That's…awfully considerate of you…"

Phantom's eyes crinkled as he smiled. "We _are_ in this together, Fenton."

Fenton's own eyes narrowed. "Maybe so, but I don't trust you. You must have some ulterior motive…"

If anything, Fenton's suspicion made Phantom's smile wider. "Only that I don't follow, Fenton." He lifted his chin so that he breathed the next sentence against Fenton's lips. "I lead." A shiver Fenton couldn't suppress traveled along his frame. Close as they were to each other, Phantom felt the boy shiver in his arms and didn't bother to hide his smirk. "I promise to stop as soon as one of us feels we are going too far. Does that satisfy your caution?"

Fenton bit his lip. He was afraid of the sensations Phantom was able to cause in him with seemingly little effort…but the ghost knew what he was doing and even had better control over himself. Plus, like Phantom hinted at, if things went too far, Fenton could lay the blame at Phantom's feet.

"You'll stop?"

"Yes."

Closing his eyes, Fenton exhaled slowly. "Okay. Okay, fine. You're in charge. But—but if you mess up—"

"—then I will consent to your leadership once more, O' Doubtful One."

Fenton glared at him, unimpressed by his sarcastic tone, and the ghost smiled. Phantom's eyes half closed and then he brushed his lips against Fenton's in a chaste kiss. The human boy jolted in his arms, his eyes flying wide open.

"I was right," Phantom said.

Fenton shifted on his feet, looking anywhere but at the ghost. "About?"

Phantom licked his lips and smirked when Fenton's eyes followed the motion. "You taste like Froot Loops."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're just going to ignore how embarrassing the whole "dominate" lead kisser thing is and pretend it's a symptom of these two being total virgins, okay? Yuuup....Shhhhh.....


	4. Divided

 

* * *

" _To love one's self is the beginning of a lifelong romance."_ ~Oscar Wilde

* * *

Phantom trailed his hand along Fenton's spine, trying to sooth the human's tense muscles. Instead, his touch prompted Fenton to tense further in his arms. A soft moan vibrated against Phantom's shoulder, and if Fenton had been less dazed and more aware, Phantom was sure the human boy would have been horrified by the sound—as well as the position they were in.

A wry smile lifted the ghost's lips. He shifted slightly so that his arms fit more comfortably around Fenton's waist, and the human—still panting, still dazed—shifted with him, now almost molded against Phantom's body. It was pleasant to hold another person like this. No doubt holding Valerie would be even better, but for now, Phantom was content to remain as they were.

It wouldn't last, of course. Phantom sighed, the soft exhale ruffling a few black hairs atop Fenton's head. Once Fenton's thoughts caught up with him, the passive boy in his arms would transform into a raging ball of denial and embarrassment. That it was taking this long for Fenton to collect himself at all meant Phantom's performance in their latest kiss ranked somewhere between amazing and overwhelming. The thought made Phantom chuckle.

The ghost laid his cheek against Fenton's head, his eyes sliding closed and a soft smile tracing his lips. It had been a good day, at least in his opinion. Fenton had made Phantom fight for every kiss they shared, but that only served to intrigue Phantom further. The challenge of luring Fenton into a kiss and then coaxing Fenton into losing himself in that kiss felt like a game, a contest.

The human didn't share his view, so of course Phantom had to mix up his approach. Fenton seemed to prefer it when he eased the boy into the kiss, but it was when Phantom seduced him that Fenton gave the best reaction. Definitely Phantom's favorite as Fenton embraced the give-and-take rhythm more easily. During their breaks between kissing—or better known as Fenton's anxiety attacks—Phantom would steal a kiss or two, which made Fenton throw a bigger hissy fit than usual, but Phantom enjoyed it too much to stop.

Humming to himself, Phantom trailed his hand along Fenton's lower back again, and this time the human stirred. He jerked his head off Phantom's shoulder fast enough to cause whiplash. A soft swear passed his lips, earning another chuckle from Phantom.

"Language, Fenton," he said. With the ease born of long practice, Phantom dropped his arms from around Fenton's waist as the boy scrambled away from him. Fenton's too-warm body had heated Phantom when they were pressed together, and now that he was gone, Phantom's core began to chill the warmth left behind. Phantom crossed his arms over his chest. He still had yet to decide if he preferred Fenton's burning touch, or the sudden cold that followed in his absence.

"Okay, seriously," Fenton said, his arms held out in front of him like he trying to ward off the immobile ghost. "You need to, like, relearn the personal boundary rule."

"I know the rule well," Phantom said, smirking. "But as we're the same person, there's no boundary between us. Your argument is invalid." His smirk grew, and he tilted his head to the side. "Besides which, you were the one draping himself on me. Perhaps you're the one who needs to relearn personal boundaries."

The human half of Danny rolled his eyes, refusing to jump on the bait. Although he did mutter a quiet, "You're the one pulling me into a kiss every five minutes…"

"Well, my dear human self, we were supposed to practice—"

"Not _that_ often."

"—but if it makes you feel any better…" Phantom sighed. "That was our last kiss."

Fenton looked at him with wide eyes. "We're finished?" he asked, not even trying to suppress the hope in his voice. "We don't have to kiss anymore?"

"No, we're good. There is, of course, always room for improvement, but…" Phantom nodded towards their alarm clock, "we're out of time…"

Fenton followed his gaze and then swore when he read the florescent numbers.

"Once again: language."

"It's eight O'clock!" Fenton shouted. "That gives us less than half an hour!"

"Yes. Just enough time to merge back, center ourselves, and then shower."

Fenton's nose wrinkled on that last. "Shower?"

"This may be a casual date, but we should at least try to look our best, and you refused to take one while we were separate." Phantom rolled his eyes skyward. "You're apparently paranoid as well as shy. Honestly, Fenton, we have the same bodies. Why would I stare at you when all I have to do is look in a mirror?"

Fenton glared at him through the heated blush coloring his face, and although he said nothing, Phantom saw the other boy's eyes flicker to his lips. Phantom arched an eyebrow. A few seconds of uncomfortable silence passed between them before Fenton cleared his throat. "Let's just, you know, merge back already so we can forget about all this."

Phantom nodded and then sank beneath the floor. He reappeared behind Fenton and wrapped his arms around the other boy's waist. Instantly, Fenton's body heat spread along Phantom's skin, and Phantom hugged Fenton to his chest, savoring the almost uncomfortable heat emanating from the other boy. He placed his lips close to Fenton's ear and whispered, "I doubt either of us will forget this."

The ghost waited a second for Fenton to reply, but when the boy remained silent, Phantom smirked and flew them through the net.

* * *

Danny sat with his back propped against the Catcher's pole, his elbows balanced on his knees and his head buried in his hands. He breathed in deep, steady breaths as two sets of images and sensations from the past two days collided and mixed in his mind, blurring his vision and causing his stomach to roll unpleasantly. He groaned and tucked his knees closer against his chest.

 _Why did I ever think this was a good idea again?_ Danny wondered.

As if in answer, the last kiss between his two halves tore through Danny's mind, and the halfa groaned. Half in horror, half in pleasure. He cursed and banged the back of his head against the pole. How sick and twisted was he to find pleasure in kissing himself…

 _Something that feels that right can't be wrong, though, can it?_ Danny thought and then quickly shook his head. That was just Phantom's half of his personality talking.

_Of course it's wrong. I have a girlfriend. Why am I going around kissing other guys? But I'm not kissing other guys. I'm kissing myself. There's a big difference._

Danny closed his eyes, recalling how it felt to hold his human self in his arms. How satisfying it felt to surprise his ghost self with a sudden bold stroke of his tongue.

 _Maybe so,_ he thought at last, _but it doesn't feel that different…Is that such a bad thing?_

Danny allowed that thought to float around in his head for a moment. The Phantom half of his personality agreed with the sentiment while the same question frightened the Fenton half.

Before his thoughts could start chasing each around again, Danny climbed to his feet, swaying slightly. A sudden stabbing pain behind his eyes made the boy groan and fall against the Catcher's pole. The metal was surprisingly cold, and Danny leaned his forehead against it, sighing as the cool temperature spread across his skin. A second later, he realized the cold was actually aggravating his headache, and he pushed away from the invention.

Shaking his head, Danny began his unsteady trek to his bathroom. So he had issues. What else was new?

 _Jazz would have a field day with this,_ he thought warily.

_Good thing she'll never find out then…_

Danny chuckled to himself, although the laugh had an underlying trace of unease. His sister had come dangerously close to finding out the first time Danny kissed himself. If Jazz had decided to barge in instead of knocking on the door…Danny shuddered. At the very least, she would have demanded an explanation, most likely followed up by a psychoanalysis. Danny knew he was messed up; he didn't need his sister confirming it.

The boy entered the bathroom and then slammed the door shut behind him. With half his thoughts wondering about Jazz's possible reaction toward her little brother being a closet narcissist, Danny grabbed the back of his shirt collar and slipped the turtleneck off his head. As his fingers fumbled with his jean's button and zipper, Danny's gaze wondered to the mirror and traveled along the expanse of visible skin reflected there, trailing along his developing abs and the slight dip of his hip bones.

Like a haunting memory, Danny felt Phantom's cold fingers tracing along those same muscles, felt his ghost half's satisfaction when the touch elected a breathless exhale from his human half. He could still see in his mind's eye, how Phantom's white gloved hand had pushed its way inside Fenton's pants, following the dip of Fenton's hip bones, and now, as Danny pushed his pants further down, his heavy gaze followed the same route—

Danny dropped to his knees, ducking behind the sink counter and out of sight of the mirror. "What the fuck was _that_?" he squeaked, seconds away from hyperventilating.

 _I just checked myself out!_ he mentally screamed. _I-I fantasized about_ touching _myself! Holy shit!_

 _Language,_ his mind reflexively scolded.

_I-I—holy shit!_

_No, wait._ Danny forced himself to breath, trying to calm his nerves. _This is normal. Completely normal! I was just checking out my muscles. Guys do it all the time. Like—like Dash._

_But does Dash think about touching himself like that?_

He might. It's not that far off from masturbation.

That thought produced a disturbing image, prompting Danny to repeatedly bang his head against the cupboard. _This is so fucked up…_

_Language._

_I can swear in my own thoughts._

_But if we think it we may say it._

Danny blinked, his breath catching. "'We'?" he chocked.

The hero snatched his shirt off the floor and dashed out of the bathroom. He dodged around his sister—ignoring Jazz's startled cry—and ran into his room, slamming the door shut behind him. He leaned against the door's solid surface, gasping for breath as his heart beat frantically against his chest. Admiring himself, fantasying about touching himself, talking to himself…he was more than just messed up. He was bordering on _insane_.

Danny chewed on his bottom lip and glared at the Fenton invention that had caused all this. Grateful as he was to be a better kisser, if he developed that multiple personality something-or-other disorder, he was going to destroy that stupid invention.

_Although, it had been fun to—_

Fenton's half of Danny's personality balked at that thought, and Danny found himself forcefully shaking his head. _It doesn't matter if it was fun! It's still wrong to kiss yourself!_

 _Says who?_ Danny wondered. _Clockwork? Jazz? The Easter Bunny? Where does it say in the Hero's Guidebook for Dummies that I'm not allowed to enjoy myself? Just for a little while?_

_Just because no one has said its wrong doesn't mean it's not._

_Which only means I need to figure it out for myself. And since we both liked it, why shouldn't we pursue this?_

Danny groaned and fisted clumps of black hair, pulling at the strands. "There's no 'we', there's just _me_!" he screamed.

A soft knock on the door, followed by a gentle call nearly made Danny's heart stop…until he reminded himself he was alone and not doing anything incriminating.

Danny released his hair, swallowed, and demanded in a slightly shaky voice, "What do you want, Jazz?"

"Are you okay, Danny?" Jazz's muffled voice said through the door. "It looked like you were running away from something."

Knowing Jazz, she purposefully made that statement ambiguous. Danny sighed. Why couldn't she just leave him alone? It was hard to freak out with someone constantly trying to make you feel better. "I'm fine."

"You didn't look fine. Can I come in?"

Danny glanced at the Fenton Ghost Catcher standing squarely in the center of his room. "No."

"Danny—"

"I have to get ready for my date with Valerie, Jazz! I don't have time for your psycho theories!"

Jazz fell silent for a few minutes, and in that time, Danny resisted slapping his forehead.

 _Oh, nice,_ he thought sarcastically. _You probably just made your sister cry. Way to go, hero._

"You're supposed to watch the meteor shower with her?" Jazz asked, and Danny was relieved by the lack of sadness in her voice.

"Yes, and we're supposed to meet up soon."

"You know it's cloudy outside, right? There isn't a visible star in sight."

Danny scrubbed the heel of his hand against his forehead, grimacing. "I know that, Jazz. I…we'll just have to do something else."

"The clouds are low to the ground, aren't they? If you told her you knew her secret—or even better, if you told her yours, you two could still watch the meteor shower together. You know, above the clouds."

Danny released a dry, humorless laugh. "It's a little late for that, Jazz," he said. "If I told her I knew about her 'second job', she'd demand to know how, and if I told her my secret, she wouldn't want anything to do with me. She might even try to shoot me for 'manipulating her feelings' or something crazy like that."

"You'll have to tell her at some point, Danny. A relationship built on lies is one that is doomed to fail." She paused a moment as Danny bit his lip and glared off to the side. She added in a softer tone, "I just don't want to see you hurt."

Danny didn't respond, and a second later, he heard his sister walk away. Sighing, Danny allowed his body to slide down the door until he sat with his knees tucked against his chest. He covered his eyes with his hands, his fingers digging into his scalp.

 _She's wrong,_ Danny told himself. _Valerie and I have our problems, but…I-I taught myself how to kiss for her, and she's willing to make sacrifices for me too. A relationship like that can't just fail because of a few secrets…_

_But those secrets have been pulling us away from each other, too. How many dates have I had to cancel and reschedule because a ghost attacked? How many times has Valerie run off so she could fight a ghost her radar alerted her to?_

Danny looked up from his hands. "Too many…" he said to the empty room. His eyes closed as he sighed. "Okay. I'll tell her…just not now. Later. Soon."

_How soon?_

"I don't know, just soon!" A second later, Danny groaned, realizing he had just yelled at himself.

Shaking his head to clear it of such thoughts, Danny reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He flipped it open and stared at the screen for a moment before dialing Valerie's number. He pressed the speaker to his ear and listened to it ring, his heart beating a little faster.

On the third ring, Danny heard a click. _"Hey, Danny. I was just about to call you."_

Unbidden, Danny felt his lips lift in a gentle smile in response to Valerie's relaxed tone. "I take it you've seen the sky?"

 _"Actually, no. There are these dark, fluffy clouds blocking my view."_ She paused a moment and then added in a slightly subdued tone, _"I suppose this means the date is off…unless you have a plan B?"_

"I do, but—" He sighed dramatically "—it's not as cool as watching meteoroids burn up in the atmosphere."

 _"Nothing could top that,"_ Valerie agreed, amused. _"So? What did you have in mind?"_

This was the hard part. Danny cleared his throat and straightened his back against the door. "Well, there's this new burger restaurant on Second Street that's supposed to be really good. It's called The Works."

 _"I know that place. Carl thinks it's going to steal all our customers. He views it as our top rival."_ She snorted. _"Like the Nasty Burger could ever be considered competition…"_

Danny chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. No offense, but your food tastes awful."

_"None taken. You should see what goes on behind the counter."_

"I'd rather not. So, are you interested?"

 _"A chance to stick it to Carl_ and _spend time with you? Hell yeah I'm interested! I can meet you there in a few minutes."_

"Great!"

His enthusiastic tone made Valerie laugh. _"I'll see you there, Fenton,"_ she said before hanging up.

Danny lowered his phone into his lap, grinning. He didn't know how she did it, but just talking to Valerie eased his nervousness. Anticipation for their date had Danny's heart beating wildly in his chest. Just the thought of kissing her made it feel like gravity no longer affected his human form. He felt more excited over his outing with Valerie than any one of those kisses Phantom and Fenton had shared. That had to say something, right?

A sudden chill raced up Danny's spine and materialized in the air in front of his face as a blue wisp of smoke. Danny stared at it a moment, dread and horror acting like lead in his stomach. He shoved himself away from the door and rushed to the window, tripping slightly as his unbuttoned pants dragged. He braced his hands on the windowsill and scanned the darkening skies.

_Please be the Box Ghost, please be the Box Ghost, please be the Box Ghost…_

The skies remained clear, yet Danny kept his muscles tense in preparation for a fight, and soon enough, he saw two ghosts fly up from the ground. They paused a moment to gather their bearings and then took off northward. His stomach dropped.

"No," he groaned. He banged his forehead against the windowpane. "Not them…"

Spectra and Bertrand, or in other words, the bane of Danny's peace of mind. He couldn't face them now. Not after he'd just kissed himself. Not after he'd just fantasized about touching himself. They would sense the inner conflict brewing in Danny, and they'd pick at it and pick at it until he was putty in their hands.

And what about his date with Valerie? He couldn't cancel on her now, not after he'd just rearranged their date. And he hated to think how she would react if he showed up late. She was particularly sensitive to being stood up ever since Tucker ditched her to take Sam to that dance Freshman year. Maybe she would understand if he called to say he would be a little late…but she might wonder why, and the thought of her waiting at the restaurant all alone made Danny flinch.

He didn't have time to fight Spectra. He had to leave now…but Spectra was a dangerous ghost. She was physically weak but mentally destructive. He couldn't allow her to torment someone just because he wanted to go on a date with his girlfriend…but he couldn't do both…

Danny glanced over his shoulder at the Fenton Ghost Catcher. The dim glow of the net almost seemed to be mocking him, laughing at his dependence on it. But if Danny separated himself again, his ghost half could go fight Spectra while his human half went on the date with Valerie. It was a near perfect solution. His two halves wouldn't even have to technically interact. The only problem was the personality issue.

The latest personality trend the Catcher seemed fixed on involved all Danny's confidence going into his ghost half and all his fears and anxieties going into the other. If Danny separated himself now, his human half would be shy and uncoordinated in his date with Valerie, resulting in Danny Fenton looking like a fool in front of his girlfriend…again. But if he somehow gave all the confidence to Fenton, then that would leave Phantom vulnerable to Spectra's poisonous words.

"What I need is a different set of personalities," Danny said to himself. He paced in front of the Catcher, his pants going unnoticed as they slipped further down his hips. "But…how do I control it? It's just a glitch in Mom and Dad's design. There's not really a pattern to it…is there?" Danny paused, his lips pursed in thought. "Maybe if I just think hard enough about what I want it will happen? But what personalities do I need?"

He shrugged to himself. "Well, the human half would have to be romantic enough to please Valerie, and the other half would have to be strong and confident enough to defeat Spectra…"

He smiled. "A lover and a fighter!"

The smile vanished, replaced by a frown. "But would that work?"

He shook his head. "It has to! We're running out of time!"

Valerie was expecting him in a few minutes, and since his human half wouldn't have ghost powers, he'd have to walk to the date. Cutting it short wasn't an option.

Danny faced the Ghost Catcher, his breath slightly shaky. "All right. All right, fine. But this is the last time, you hear me?" He didn't know if he was talking to himself or to the Ghost Catcher, and frankly, he didn't want to know.

He took one last deep breath, centering his thoughts around his feelings for Valerie and his duty to protect the city. When he opened his eyes again, they were neon green and his hair white as snow. He floated upwards with his ghost tail dancing beneath him. A second later, he flew through the mocking green net.

* * *

Unlike the last few times they had separated, Phantom felt almost no dizziness. He reached for his human half's wrists and was surprised when warm hands wrapped around his own forearms at the same time. Phantom lowered Fenton to the ground until the other boy's feet were firmly planted on the floor and then floated a safe distance away from him. Phantom cocked his head to the side, studying the human version of himself.

Fenton shifted on his feet, his wide blue eyes staring up into Phantom's. "Do you…feel any different?"

It was in the way that Fenton broke eye contact soon after that Phantom knew the answer to the question even before he assessed his own feelings. "No. I feel exactly as I had this morning. I assume you do as well?"

He received a mere head nod in response. The human boy fidgeted beneath the ghost's gaze and rubbed his arms, almost looking ashamed.

Phantom released an explosive sigh. "Then we merge back." He floated over to Fenton, intent to do just that, but the other boy stepped away from him, his eyes narrowed.

"Merge back? Why? We still have to—"

"We merge back because our plan failed. You're in no condition to go on a date with Valerie, not with you so…awkward. You might ruin our chances with her completely." He grabbed Fenton's wrist and pulled the human to him.

Fenton's hand clenched and he ripped his arm out of Phantom's grasp, glaring into the ghost's eyes. "Well, excuse me, Mr. High-and-Mighty. I apologize for being such an inconvenience to the two of us, but I don't see any option other than this, do you?"

"Yes."

"Oh really? Then please share with the rest of the class, O' Smart One."

Phantom frowned, the other boy's sarcasm beginning to fray at his nerves. "We merge back and, as one, go on our date with Valerie."

"And what about Spectra?"

"She can be dealt with after our date."

His casual response made Fenton pause, his eyes widening slightly. "Wait…you want to forget about Spectra? You think our date with Valerie is more important?"

"I do."

Fenton stared at him, his mouth agape. It was actually quite a humorous expression. "You—th-that's insane!" he finally shouted. "You can't _not_ fight ghosts! That's—that's your _job_! If we're on a date, and Valerie's on a date, then there's no one to stop Spectra!"

"So? A half hour to an hour tops would Spectra have free reign."

"Yeah, and in that time she could seriously hurt someone!"

Phantom crossed his arms over his chest, unperturbed. "I won't abandon Valerie for some stranger. I value my time with her too highly."

Fenton returned to gaping at him, although why he found Phantom's stance on the matter so surprising was beyond Phantom. Their choice of action was obvious in his mind. He cared deeply for Valerie, and he—as Valerie had once almost done herself—was willing to give up ghost hunting for her.

Fenton's eyes shifted to the Ghost Catcher. Without his shirt on, Phantom could clearly see the human's shoulders tense, the only warning he received before Fenton charged at the invention. Phantom's eyes widened and he flew after Fenton, latching onto the human's bare waist. His added weight and momentum caused Fenton to trip. They both crashed into the Catcher and the three of them collapsed to the floor, the two organics grunting on impact while the invention produced a dull thud.

"What's the matter with you?" Phantom demanded as he sat up. "You could have broken it!" He grabbed Fenton's arms, but the human hugged the pole to his chest, resisting Phantom's efforts to pull him off.

"We're not merging back!" he shouted. "Go fight Spectra!"

"You're being ridiculous, Fenton," Phantom said, exasperated. "And you're wasting our time. Let go of the Ghost Catcher so we can leave for our date."

"No!"

"We're going to be late!"

"Like I give a crap!"

"Have it your way then."

Phantom reached over Fenton and placed his hand on the Catcher's pole, spreading his intangibility to the object. Fenton gasped as the solid object beneath him vanished and he fell the remaining two inches above the floor. Phantom erected the Catcher behind him and placed a hand on his hip, his other hand resting securely on the pole.

"I _am_ a ghost," he reminded his human half, smirking. Fenton grumbled under his breath as he climbed to his feet. "Now, let us reunite and—"

Fenton tackled Phantom's midsection, sending them both to the ground again. The ghost's startled gasp became a grunt as gravity drove Fenton's weight into his stomach, a force that would have left him breathless had he needed breath in the first place. He growled and pushed against Fenton's right side, forcing the human to roll beneath him. He placed his knees on either side of Fenton's hips and pinned the boy's hands above his head. Fenton thrashed against Phantom's hold, his hips bucking and his legs fruitlessly kicking the air.

"Knock it off!" Phantom yelled after Fenton managed to knee him in the back.

"Get off me!" Fenton yelled in return. He heaved his whole body against Phantom's left side, almost managing to break the ghost's restraint.

Phantom tightened his hold on Fenton's wrists and bared fangless teeth. "I can and _will_ overshadow you for the duration of the date," he growled.

Fenton stilled beneath him, his eyes snapping to the brightly glowing ones above him. Blue eyes narrowed a second later. "Valerie is a ghost hunter. She would know if I was being overshadowed."

Phantom leaned further over him, the glow of his Scary Eyes casting Fenton's face in neon green light. "Not if I do it right…"

Fenton bared his own teeth. In a single motion, he heaved his whole upper body forward and slammed his forehead against Phantom's. The ghost reeled backwards, his grip on Fenton's hands going slack. Fenton grabbed the Phantom's wrists and used his new hold to twist the ghost off him and onto the floor. Quickly, he settled on Phantom's waist and pinned his hands above his head, the reverse of their positions from before.

"We are sticking to the original plan," the human said as he glared into Phantom's eyes. "You'll fight Spectra, and I'll go on our date with Valerie. Got it?"

Unlike Fenton, Phantom relaxed beneath Fenton's control. At the human's commanding tone, he lifted his chin and returned the glare directed at him. "You're telling _me_ what to do? Must I remind you that of the two of us, I am the one with power?" His eyes flared with light to demonstrate his point.

Fenton swallowed, his eyes flickering uncertainly, finally realizing how precarious his hold on the ghost truly was. Props had to be given, however, when the powerless human hid his emotions behind anger. "What is the matter with you? You're supposed to be the hero here!"

"This hero wishes to meet up with his heroine," Phantom replied, rolling his eyes. "Forgive me if I actually have _feelings_ and _wants_ other than fighting and defending the innocent." Black hair brushed against Phantom's forehead as Fenton shifted, bringing the ghost's attention to just how close the two of them were. "Would you render all our efforts of today useless?" Phantom asked, changing tactic.

His words made Fenton realize the lack of distance between them as well, and the human jerked back. Phantom's gaze shifted to the bare chest poised above him and trailed along the muscles and light scars he found there. His gaze fell lower and lower until he met the jeans that hung loosely on Fenton's hips, the barest hint of red boxers showing. His fingers twitched.

"…a chance."

Phantom lifted his gaze to Fenton's face, slowly blinking. "What?"

Fenton rolled his eyes, his lips turning down in annoyance. "I said to just give me a chance."

"At…?"

"Dating Valerie! Geez, do you have cotton in your ears or something?"

"Cotton, no." Phantom pursed his lips, staring up at Fenton. A cold lance of…attraction shot through his core. Thanks to the day they had shared together, Phantom was slightly more aware of the allure Fenton held. And with Fenton shirtless and on top of him, looking almost desperate…it wouldn't be difficult to flip them over into a more desirable position…

This was hardly fair.

Phantom sighed, his eyes closing for a moment. "All right, Fenton. You win."

The human blinked, his hands relaxing their iron grip on Phantom's wrists. "What? Really? That's it?"

"Yes. That's it." Fenton's eyes brightened, as did the smile that crossed his lip. Despite himself, Phantom felt his own lips twitch in response. His eyes fell to Fenton's chest again. He smirked and said in a purposefully husky voice, "You may wish to get dressed first."

Fenton blinked twice and then followed Phantom's gaze. He paled for a second and flushed hotly the next. A swear that was more squeak than anything passed his lips and he leapt off Phantom, stumbling slightly in his hurry. Phantom remained where he lay, laughing, and took great delight in watching the blush spread as Fenton fumbled with his pants.

Phantom lifted himself onto his elbows, still chuckling. "It's a good look for us. We should wear it more often."

It was amazing how red humans could get…Fenton scowled through his blush. "Just shut up and get out of here already…"

Phantom released one last chuckle before following Fenton's command and flying out the window. He paused a moment outside the building. Invisible, he floated back to the window and peered inside, catching sight of Fenton as the human bent down to grab his shirt off the floor. Phantom watched the corded muscles of Fenton's back flex and then relax as he stood up again. His eyes followed along the dip of Fenton's spine, traveling down his back, mesmerized as the muscles of Fenton's back continued to flex with the human's movements.

It wasn't until Fenton's white shirt blocked his view that Phantom tore his gaze away. The ghost half of Danny bit his lip hard enough to puncture the skin. Shaking his head, he floated backwards a few yards and then sped off in the direction Spectra and Bertrand had flown in.

* * *

**They don't know it yet, but they just fucked themselves over, they did. Ehehe shh**


	5. Greener Grass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dating is hard. Ghost hunting is hard. Even harder is when you would rather do what the other half of yourself is doing.

Chapter 5  
Greener Grass

* * *

_"To fall in love is easy, even to remain in it is not difficult; our human loneliness is cause enough. But it is a hard quest worth making to find a comrade through whose steady presence one becomes steadily the person one desires to be." ~_ Anna Louise Strong

* * *

Every molecule in Fenton's legs screamed at him to run away, but the human forced himself to ignore it and keep walking towards his girlfriend. He could see her standing beneath The Work's awning, lit from behind by the restaurant's lights, and although she wore casual clothes, he couldn't help thinking she was beautiful.

Aside from a new orange headband, Valerie's hairstyle remained the same; free and wavy. The dark curls fell in waves over her bare shoulders and brushed against the yellow material of her off-the-shoulder sweater. She wore white jeans that hugged her hips, and on each wrist she sported large yellow bracelets…but no ghost detector watch.

In comparison, Fenton felt like a bumbling idiot who had just thrown on the closest clothing at hand…which, essentially, he had. Unlike Valerie, he wore the same clothes he usually wore. Loose fitting jeans, worn sneakers, and his favorite white and red t-shirt. However, the shirt had a high collar that failed to scream he was on a date, but he didn't have a choice. Not with Phantom's hickey broadcasting its presence to the world.

Valerie looked up at that moment, and Fenton's insides froze. Adrenaline fed his instincts, prompting the blue-eyed boy to dive behind a group of trash cans half a block away from the restaurant. His back banged against the hollow drums, causing a clatter that echoed down the street.

Fenton slammed his palm against his forehead. _Fenton, you idiot! Hiding behind trash cans? Who_ does _that? If Valerie—_

"Danny?" Valerie called, and then he heard her shoes clap against the wet pavement as she approached his hiding place.

Fenton flinched, his heart beating faster. Slowly, he crawled out from behind the trash cans and climbed to his feet, his gaze firmly locked on the ground. "I, um…dropped something…" Glancing up at Valerie, he saw his girlfriend frown. He flushed and dropped his gaze again.

A second later, he heard Valerie snort. "If you say so, Fenton," she said, amused.

He rubbed the back of his neck smiling sheepishly as his blush spread. Valerie stared at him expectantly, and Fenton realized he was supposed to say something. He opened his mouth to do so, but no words came out.

They descended into an uncomfortable silence, broken only by the sound of Fenton's rapid heartbeat. After a moment, Valerie gestured at the restaurant. "Should we…go in?"

Still blushing like an idiot, Fenton nodded and walked towards her. He had only taken a few steps forward when his shoe skidded across a few pebbles on the sidewalk, and the boy yelled as he fell backwards. A grunt escaped his throat upon impact with the concrete, but it was the humiliation eating at his gut that left him groaning.

Valerie rushed forward and grabbed his hand, helping him back to his feet. "Are you all right?" she asked, scanning for injuries.

He nodded silently, staring down at their interlocked hands. The secret huntress smiled at that and used her hold to lead him to the doors. To Fenton, it felt like he was walking into a death trap. This wasn't at all like the last few times they dated. All his romantic abilities were locked inside another boy, off fighting ghosts. How was he going to survive this alone?

They stepped inside, and the first thing Fenton noticed was how uncomfortably warm the building was. He could barely breathe, it was so stifling. Valerie didn't seem to notice, however, and continued leading him to their destination. They passed many tables occupied by other couples, but some were empty, and Fenton didn't understand why Valerie didn't sit at those. A table was a table, right?

It wasn't until they were at the back of the restaurant that Valerie seemed satisfied. A single light had gone out, scaring away the other customers, but the dim lighting and seclusion created an intimate atmosphere, an effect that caused Fenton's heart rate to accelerate. Valerie slid into the booth, casting a smile at Fenton that reminded him of Phantom.

He swallowed, wishing he could trade places with his ghost half. Compared to this nightmare, Phantom had it easy.

* * *

Defeating two loathsome, soul-sucking ghosts was turning out to be far harder than he had expected.

Scales scraped against Phantom's jumpsuit as Bertrand constricted his snake-body tighter around the ghost boy, painfully binding Phantom's arms to his chest. The boy wheezed and thanked his dead lungs for not needing oxygen. That would have made this imprisonment deadly as well as uncomfortable.

Once more, he tried to activate his intangibility and slip out of Bertrand's grasp, but the glow around the other ghost intensified, somehow negating the power. Phantom groaned and allowed the back of his head to fall against the pavement. Why had he allowed Fenton to win that argument? Going on a date with Valerie was preferable over this by far.

Bertrand's wedge-shaped head slithered over the boy's shoulder, coming up to hiss against his ear, "Aww…is the little ghostie all tuckered out? We've only just started..."

Phantom jerked his head away, grimacing at the feel of the snake's tongue tickling his ear. In the right context, he was sure such a feather light touch could be quite pleasurable, but in this instance it was just creepy. Perhaps if Fenton was willing, he could-

But, no. They were no longer practicing.

Spectra floated over to the pair, her spectral black tail rippling as flame-like waves coursed through her shade form. "He's not tired at all, Bertrand," she said. "He just wishes he was somewhere else. Isn't that right, Danny?"

Phantom glared at her, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"He does seem awfully distracted," Bertrand mused. He spread his mouth wide in the viper's imitation of a grin. "Why, defeating him has never been easier!"

"You haven't defeated me yet," Phantom snarled. "This is nothing more than a temporary inconvenience."

Coils squeezed, prompting a pained gasp from the trapped ghost. "Does that feel temporary?" the other ghost hissed.

"Where would you rather be, Danny?" Spectra questioned.

He forced unnecessary air into his compressed lungs before he answered. "Away from you two, for starters."

"Now, that's not very nice. We just want to help. Maybe we could even…negotiate."

Phantom frowned, the word ringing in his ears. "Negotiate?"

She combed her fingers through his white hair, humming. "A hunk like you on a Saturday night, why, you must have had plans. Especially since you now have a girlfriend. What's her name again? Valerie?"

Phantom hadn't meant to, and he berated himself the second he did it, but he jerked against Bertrand's hold like he'd been stung.

"I believe you hit the bull's-eye, Spectra," Bertrand said, grinning that viper's grin again.

The she-ghost clapped her hands together in delight. "Ooh, let me guess! You two had a date planned, but you had to cancel because we showed up. Is that it?"

Phantom sealed his lips together, determined not to give anything else away.

"She must have been _devastated_. How many times before this have you canceled on her? Just think of all that _misery_ you must cause her!"

"You're not a very good boyfriend, are you?" Bertrand asked, earning a glare from his prisoner.

"He has a point, Danny," Spectra said and drifted a little closer to Phantom's face. "If you keep this up, she might find someone else. Someone _better_."

The boy stared at her, trying to ignore the way his core throbbed at the thought. It was ridiculous, of course, but his mind presented him with the image of his human half and Valerie on their date. Laughing, kissing…Phantom's chest tightened, and not because of the snake.

"And she should too," the snake added.

"Oh, yes she should," Spectra agreed. "She deserves better than a boy who chooses ghost hunting over her."

"No." Phantom shook his head, his white hair tangling as it rubbed against the pavement. "No that is not…I didn't…" _Fenton_ had been the one who wanted this, not Phantom. _Fenton_ didn't deserve her.

Spectra placed her hands on his shoulders, their green glow spreading to Phantom. She bent down to whisper in his ear, "But it doesn't have to be that way, Danny. It's not too late. You can still have your date. All you have to do is forget you ever saw us."

Phantom's eyes darted between her and Bertrand. He… _could_ forget about them. He had a duty to the city, but what about his duty to his girlfriend? She deserved better than this. He could just leave now, go on their date…

The green glow fizzled out of existence.

"What are you waiting for?" he heard Bertrand demand.

"I can't reach it," Spectra hissed. "I can sense it, I just can't _grab_ it."

"Why not?"

"If I knew why, it wouldn't be an issue, now would it?" Spectra's fingers dug into his shoulders, and Phantom barely suppressed a pained hiss. "It doesn't make sense. I can feed of any human, even half human freaks like him!"

As the two ghosts continued to argue above him, Phantom blinked, the haze over his eyes clearing. Even if he ignored his duty, he would be unable to join Valerie on a date. For one, he was Danny Phantom, her most hated enemy. Two, Fenton was with her, so she had her date, even if it wasn't with him.

Honestly, the date was probably making the awkward boy feel as helpless as Phantom felt right now. Even if he wanted to, Fenton couldn't steal Valerie away from Phantom because he lacked nearly all romantic ability…and while Phantom was busy entertaining Spectra's little mind games, Fenton could at this very moment be ruining their date.

Green eyes blazed with supernatural blue light as Phantom willed his ice powers to build inside him. Being cold creatures themselves, Spectra and Bertrand failed to notice the drop in Phantom's temperature at first. It was when frost condensed on Bertrand's scales that the shape-changer faltered midsentence. He looked down at his captive, his reptilian eyes widening upon noticing the blue hue of Phantom's skin.

Phantom slammed open the floodgates of his pores. A cold aura from his core exploded outward in all directions, a cloud of icy air that froze everything in its path, most notably the two ghosts in contact with its point of origin. Spectra and Bertrand yelled and tried to recoil from Phantom, but were too slow and froze solid in moments. Everything within a five yard radius gained a coating of ice, leaving the panting ghost boy as the only colorful object in the vicinity.

Said boy turned transparent and floated out of Bertrand's hold. He landed on the frozen ground with the ease of an ice skater, smirking at the immobile ghosts. "A temporary inconvenience," he said as he slipped the Fenton Thermos off his back. "What did I tell you?" He uncapped the device and sucked the two ghosts inside. For a moment, he stared at the sealed Thermos, wondering if the specters were able to thaw or if they would need assistance.

He dismissed the thought a second later and leaped into the sky. He had done it! Laughing, he looped in a long circle, his ghost tail streaking across the sky behind him.

The release of so much ice energy left him feeling warmer than he had in a long time. He could actually _feel_ the cold bite of the wind as it blew through his hair. Fenton always shivered in his presence, and Phantom wondered now if his touch would elicit the same reaction. And he wondered how comfortable it would be to hold the living boy in his arms now that their temperatures weren't so at odds.

Lights from the different businesses bathed the city with light pollution, and the astronomer in Phantom grimaced even as the city resident in him delighted in the warm and familiar glow. He rolled onto his back and then fell into a steep dive, allowing gravity to propel him towards the ground at dizzying speeds. Eyes closed, the boy relished the false adrenaline racing through his veins as the air surged past him, blasting against his exposed skin and pulling at his hair.

A distant honk cut through the airstream, causing green eyes to fly open. Phantom pulled up from his dive, narrowly avoiding the pavement by a couple inches. Bright lights cast from vehicles blinded him, and he barrel rolled to the right, dodging around the automobile. He dove to the left a second later in order to avoid becoming a window ornament for a car.

He flew back into the sky, paused a moment to stare down at the world below him. Pedestrians on the sidewalks noticed his presence in the sky and pointed up at him, speaking excitedly to each other. A soft smile crossed the ghost boy's lips, the knowledge that he had protected these people filling him with pride.

The _chop-chop-chop_ of whirring helicopter fans canceled a portion of that pride. Phantom grimaced and activated his invisibility. He flew into the thrall of the city again, his green eyes searching for a similarly colored neon sign. Instead, his gaze landed on a different sign, and with a wry twist of his lips, the ghost dove for the building.

* * *

Fenton fiddled with the hem of his shirt, forcing himself to maintain eye-contact as Valerie spoke, but even though his eyes remained on hers—for the most part—and he nodded and made small comments here and there, his attention wasn't on what Valerie was saying.

His mind was unfocused, wondering in every direction, all of which inevitably led to his ghost half. How Phantom was fairing in his battle, if he'd captured the ghosts yet, what he would do once he captured them, and—most importantly—how the other boy would act in this situation. The last thought would lead Fenton into actually paying attention to Valerie's words…for a few minutes. Long enough to make appropriate comments to what she was saying.

It wasn't that he found her boring—on the contrary, Valerie was the most exciting girl he knew; who else could fight ghosts on a sled that flew as fast as Phantom?—but her choice in topic lacked interest for Fenton. His thoughts were on ghosts tonight, not the mundane experiences fast food workers endure. It wouldn't be a problem if she knew he knew her secret, but he didn't dare cross that bridge. Phantom was the one with finesse and smooth talking, not Fenton.

His gaze drifted to the glass of water before him, staring unseeingly through the clear liquid. He was out of his depth here…Valerie was talking, but even he knew this wasn't the way a date was supposed to go. He should try to contribute to the conversation…but every time he tried he stumbled over his words and whispered at a volume barely audible to Valerie.

"-says it would be better for business, but what do you think? ...Danny? Danny!"

Fenton started, his eyes jumping back to Valerie's face. "Huh?"

The girl's eyes narrowed. "I said, what do you think?"

The boy blinked a couple times, his face blank. "Um…about what?"

Valerie crossed her arms over her chest, frowning darkly, and Fenton gulped, recognizing that face as one she used while hunting Phantom. "If you think I'm so boring, why don't you say something instead of just sitting there?"

Fenton slouched against the back of the booth, almost sinking beneath the table. Her words offered a chance to choose a more interesting topic…but her tone was angry, a clear note of warning laced within the words. Not good. How would Phantom get out of this mess? He never would have fallen into it in the first place…but regardless, how would he fix it?

"Apologize and say you got lost in thought while imagining your parents' reactions."

Fenton's whole body literally jumped. His heart leapt into his throat, his stomach twisted, and his knees and hands banged against the table. The resulting table-quake caused the glass of water to capsize and spill its contents all over the table…and onto Fenton's lap. He jerked in his seat, yelping as the icy water seeped against his skin.

Valerie reacted quickly, throwing table napkins on the spill, trying to contain the mess. "We could use some help over here!" she shouted at the waiters. In an equally hard although quieter voice, she said, "I got this, Fenton. Go dry yourself off."

Fenton nodded. He scooted out of the booth and collided with a malleable wall that grunted upon impact. Scowling, the human seized his ghost's wrist and dragged him to the men's room. A waiter rushing in the opposite direction dodged around Fenton, but collided with the invisible boy behind him and fell backwards with a shocked gasp. Heads turned, and Fenton ducked his flaming face, his hand tightening around the wrist he held.

He ran to the bathroom, slamming the door open. He used his hold on the ghost to throw Phantom against the cubicles, shaking the thin walls and earning a disembodied groan from the spirit. But the act failed to dispel the betrayed anger inside him, even when the white-haired boy flickered back into visibility, revealing his pained grimace.

Fenton's hands clenched at his sides, the desire to punch that familiar face stronger than he ever remembered it being. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded, his tone just above a growl.

"That was unnecessary," the other boy said, rubbing the back of his sore head.

"Answer the question!"

Green eyes opened and glared back into opposing blue. "Trying to repair the damage you caused," the ghost said, using the same tone, although the echo in his voice made his sound more intimidating. "You said you could handle this."

"But I _was_ handling it, Phantom!" Fenton insisted, his voice cracking. "I was doing just fine until you got here! There was no reason for you to get involved!"

"'Fine'?" Phantom snorted. "That was not fine. That was a not a date. _That_ was a one-sided conversation."

Fenton flinched. Phantom's tone, dry and with little emotion, was as painful as if the ghost had accused him of failing. A second later, blue eyes regained their glare as Fenton bristled. "It just started! I was…I'm still getting used to this."

"If you continue as you are, the date will be a complete failure."

And here he thought the other tone was painful…"Well, what the hell do you _want_ from me?" he demanded of the ghost. "I'm the half of our personality that lost his pants every time he talked to Paulina! The only reason I haven't done so now with Valerie is because I don't have your _stupid_ powers! So I'm _sorry_ if I fail to measure up to your idea of a perfect date, but this is the best I can do!"

"And as it turns out, your best isn't good enough. That is why I intervened."

"Oh, so you can make it worse?" Fenton pointed to his soaked jeans. "Thanks to you, it looks like I just pissed myself!"

"That was your fault for being so easily startled!"

" _What_?" Fenton shouted, incredulous. His hands made clawing motions like they were strangling the air. "You—"

The ghost shook his head, breathing deep to calm himself. "This is pointless. We need to move on to plan B."

If this were a cartoon, steam would be pouring out of Fenton's ears. "We don't _have_ a plan B," he spat. "And whatever happened to Spectra?"

" _This_ ," Phantom said, "is plan B." The word had barely passed his lips when the ghost suddenly shot forward like a bullet, diving beneath the human's flesh. A gasp was the only sound Fenton managed before he felt the other's presence spread throughout his body, poisoning his veins and invading his conscious thoughts. He doubled over and wrapped his arms around his middle, gagging. A green glow enveloped his body as he tried to shove the alien presence out of him.

_"Just let it happen,"_ Phantom ordered. His words brushed against Fenton's thoughts like a siren's call, almost warping them to do just that.

"Get out of me," Fenton growled in return.

Instead of obeying, Phantom dug further inside him and shoved Fenton's mind aside, grasping for control with icy claws. The human cried out and fell to his knees. The resulting pain from his kneecaps helped reconnect him with his body, and he pulled his lips back in a silent snarl as he repelled Phantom's presence to the outskirts of his awareness.

_"This is—"_

"No! Get out!"

A loud bang echoed off the walls, and the boys froze as a man rushed into the bathroom, running past Fenton's glowing form to the urinals. Phantom was the first to react, spreading his invisibility over Fenton's body. He wasn't sure which of them ordered the action, but Fenton dropped lower to the floor and peered under the cubicles. Both sighed in relief when they didn't see anyone else in the restroom.

_"We should have checked we were alone when we first entered,"_ Phantom said, silent to all but Fenton.

_It was your fault,_ the other boy thought to himself, biting his lip to keep from saying it aloud. _If he hadn't…_

_"We share the blame, Fenton. It was both our faults."_

The human blinked, muscles tensing. _Did you hear my…That's it! Out! Get out_ now _!_

_"This is our best option for our date with Valerie!"_

_I don't care! Get out of me!_

_"You're being irrational!"_

_And you're being an ass!_

A sigh inside your mind feels a lot like wind blowing past your ears. _"Stop swearing. It's rude and so very unattractive."_

Fenton's teeth dug into his lips, fury burning his eyes. The man finished relieving himself and moved on to washing his hands. Fenton shifted on his knees, pressed his fingertips against his stomach. He'd get one chance at this. _Once this guy leaves, I want you out._

The ghost snorted, causing Fenton's eye to twitch. _"You can 'want' me out as much as you like, Fenton, but that doesn't mean I'm leaving."_

Fenton growled low in his throat. _We'll see about that._

The guy shook water droplets off his hands and then swiped a paper towel of the electric dispenser.

_"We shall."_

Once done drying his hands, the man tossed the damp wad into the wastebasket. Fenton was so tense he was practically vibrating, and when the man was just a few feet from the door, he acted. Intimate knowledge of their powers allowed him to access Phantom's intangibility without the ghost's permission, and he thrust his hands into his own stomach, snagging his ghost's essence. Startled, Phantom gasped and was almost pulled from his human. At the last second, he concentrated his overshadowing powers, for all intents and purposes clamping around Fenton.

Breath exploded from the boy's lungs, and he squeezed his eyes closed. He waited a moment, breathing hard as he gathered his strength, and then he heaved with all his might. His shout and Phantom's surprised exclamation as he was ripped away from his human half bounced off the walls, probably loud enough for the other diners to hear. Fenton tossed the ghost aside and wrapped his arms around his middle, groaning as nausea overcame him.

"Why must you always be so difficult?" Phantom demanded as he landed on his feet beside him. The other half of Danny looked up at him, lips pulled back in a snarl. "I am only trying to—"

Fenton surged to his feet and slammed his fist against Phantom's jaw. The ghost grunted and staggered backwards until he collided with the cubicle walls. He raised his hand to his lips. The bright green color of his blood stood out against the white glove, and Phantom lifted incredulous eyes to the boy before him. "You hit me…"

Air burst from Fenton's mouth, a cross between a chocked laugh and a disbelieving huff. "No shit! I mean, you just—" A second huff of air, this one boarding on hysterical. "I can't belief you just did that!"

Phantom took a half step forward, but halted his advance when Fenton tensed and held his hand out.

"No," he said, "no, you do _not_ come near me. Don't you dare come near me."

The ghost stared at him, his mouth open like he wanted to say something. "Fenton, I…" his voice trailed off. His green eyes closed, and when he reopened them, they were filled with concern. "Are you all right?"

Fenton laughed. "All right? How can _anything_ about tonight be all right? I'm talking to myself for crying out loud! Hell, I _kissed_ myself earlier!"

"Fenton—"

"And then he tries to overshadow me!" Another near hysterical laugh. "Do you realize how _invasive_ that is? You could hear my thoughts!"

"But we're the same—"

Fenton sliced his hand through the air between them. "The _hell_ we are! How can you stand there and claim to be me after all you've done tonight? After…after you _kissed_ me? After you tried to overshadow me like I'm some sort of…of _puppet_?"

"I was only trying to—"

"—make tonight the perfect night for Valerie." Fenton rolled his eyes. "Yeah, like that makes it all better. You're so damned determined to make this _one_ date as perfect as can be you're willing to ignore _everything_ else in your way. Yourself, your morals, your duty to the city…Everything!"

The ghost protested, "I would have captured Spectra and Bertrand after the date."

"Oh, and you think Spectra would have waited for you? If we hadn't done this, if I hadn't forced you to go after them, Spectra would have fed off every person she came across. Kids, teenagers, someone on the brink of suicide…" Fenton crossed his arms and glared down at his shoes, ending in a whisper, "But who cares, right? Clearly, your date with Valerie matters more to you than the life of a stranger."

Phantom made a sound like was about to say something, but it caught in his throat, resulting in silence. Fenton could feel the other's green eyes on him, and it made him hug his arms closer against his chest, feeling exposed under the ghost's mystified stare. He opened his mouth to say something—anything to break the silence—but could think of nothing else to say, and shut it a second later.

After a long, tense moment, Phantom sighed. "I…I apologize. For overshadowing you, I mean. I overstepped my bounds."

Fenton glanced at him, but the ghost's eyes weren't on him. They were staring off the side, the light in them dimmed. Shaking his head, Fenton took a step toward the door. "I…I need to go. Valerie's probably wondering what's taking me so long."

He turned around, but froze when he felt a cool hand grab his shoulder. He tensed as the cold spread through his body, turning him intangible. The sound of water dripping onto the floor filled the restroom, and when it stopped, Fenton glanced over his shoulder at Phantom.

The ghost boy forced a smile on his lips. "I doubt you want to walk out there with a wet crotch."

A second of thought later, Fenton flushed, sputtering. Phantom's smile softened, became real, and despite the resentment he still felt towards the other boy, Fenton felt a stabbing pressure in his chest ease.

The boy looked away, frowning. He brushed Phantom's hand off his shoulder and quickly fled the restroom.

* * *

Phantom's hand slowly lowered as the door boomed shut. He twisted the hand around, staring at his palm as if searching for the source of the tingling warmth he felt there. Perhaps it was because Fenton had been pleasantly warm this time. Like the soft kiss of sunlight rather than the burning heat of hot metal.

Phantom clenched the hand into a fist. Sighing, he closed his eyes and ran his other hand through his hair. That...had not gone as planned. Nothing about tonight had. He was inclined towards laying the blame at Fenton's feet...but he was partially at fault too. They were both responsible for the way tonight had turned out, but _he_ had escalated their problems by ignoring Fenton's opinions...treating him like a puppet...a tool... All this time, had he truly been treating Fenton as lesser?

The ghost groaned and fell back against the cubicle walls. He touched two fingers to his busted lip, tracing the sore area. Fenton had hit him. It was hard to believe. Like a shock to his core, and felt just as paralyzing too. It had shocked him out of his anger, sharpened his focus, and now he had a choice to make.

Either aid Fenton in charming Valerie—because no matter how he tried to hide it, Phantom knew the awkward boy was so far out of his depth he could barely breathe.

Or give Fenton what he wanted; a chance to prove himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Figured I should get the rest of the story posted on here now that it's moving forward again. Wanted to edit/rewrite some of this chapter, but I have so much editing and rewriting ahead of me for the newer chapters I'm just gonna pass. Enjoy?


	6. Shooting Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Gray Ghost's star starts to fall and Pitch Pearl's star starts to rise

Chapter 6  
Shooting Stars

* * *

" _A man reserves his true and deepest love not for the species of woman in whose company he finds himself electrified and enkindled, but for that one in whose company he may feel tenderly drowsy."_ ~George Jean Nathan

* * *

Valerie's cheek rested in her palm while her other hand twirled her fork, a sad frown gracing her features. At Fenton's approach, she lifted her gaze to meet his, and Fenton's pace faltered. She offered him a small smile, unknowingly lifting the invisible weight off his chest.

The blue-eyed boy returned the smile and slid into his vacated seat. He stared at the table a moment, biting his lower lip as he tried to find the words to say. If Phantom was in his place, he would apologize and turn it into a compliment…but Fenton balked at the idea. He would just as soon move on with the date and pretend the last few minutes never happened.

 _No,_ he thought, squaring his shoulders and breathing deep. _No more taking the easy way. I have to suck it up, pay attention to her, and prove to my nosey ghost half I'm just as capable of sweeping Valerie off her feet as he is._

After nodding to himself, Fenton lifted his eyes to meet Valerie's and swallowed when he saw her watching him with a raised eyebrow. "Um, I…" What was he supposed to say again? "I'm…I'm sorry about…all that. I just…" He paused, blinking. He twisted a little in his seat, scanning the restaurant.

"Danny?" Valerie asked.

"I…I just…" He licked his lips. _It was probably just a draft or something…_ He shook his head and turned back to Valerie. "I just have a lot on my mind."

Valerie leaned forward, her elbows rested on the table. "Is it something I can help with?" Her eyes narrowed as something crossed her mind, and she too swept her gaze across the restaurant.

Fenton smiled shyly at her, touched by her concern. "Thanks," he said, "but I got this taken care of." He held up his right fist and grabbed the arm's bicep, flashing a goofy grin at her.

The act stole a laugh from Valerie, erasing the dark shadow haunting her eyes. The waiter arrived with their food, and Danny lowered his arms again, smiling at Valerie who shook her head, chuckling. It was amazing how uplifting it felt to make someone laugh. Already Fenton could feel tension leaving his shoulders.

"So you can be charming…"

Fenton jerked, but a cold hand on his knee kept him from banging it against the table again. "Phantom!" he hissed, his voice disguised by the clatter of the waiter setting down their dishes. "Get out of here!"

"Fenton—"

"Go away!"

Having finished his task, the waiter excused himself and left the teenagers to their meal. While Valerie busied herself with her cheeseburger, Fenton latched onto his ghost's wrist, only to have the appendage evaporate through his fingers. A second later, he felt a cold presence settle in the booth beside him. Guessing as to where it was located, Fenton tried to grab Phantom's arm, intending to drag him into the bathroom again, but once more, the ghost turned intangible and his hand passed through empty space.

Fenton spewed a whole list of derogatory names and insults—and just to piss the ghost off further, cuss words—in his head that Phantom would doubtless hear once they remerged, but while they were apart, he had every intention to make the ghost's undead life a living—

"So how good are you actually in a fight, Fenton?"

Blue eyes jerked back to Valerie's face, wide and confused. "Huh?"

Valerie shrugged. "Well, I've seen how Dash bullies you, Danny, how you run away whenever you can…" Her eyes shadowed briefly before she offered Fenton a coy smirk. "I could teach you some defensive moves if you like."

"Um, no, that's okay. I'm actually stronger than I let on."

Phantom's cold elbow drove into Fenton's side, causing the human to jerk in surprise. Fenton returned the action and was satisfied when he heard a soft and disembodied grunt.

The table hid the action from Valerie, who bit her lip and titled her head slightly. "Are you sure?" Her eyelids fell halfway over her eyes. "I am a good teacher…"

Before Fenton could respond, Phantom leaned against his shoulder, capturing Fenton's fist before it could strike him, and whispered hastily into the other boy's ear, "She is offering us a chance to spend more time with her."

A chill raced up Fenton's spine in response to the cold air brushing against his ear. He tore his fist out of Phantom's grasp. "I know how to defend myself, Valerie," he said, almost growled.

Phantom sighed, further tickling the sensitive area of Fenton's neck. Scowling, Fenton shrugged the ghost away from him.

Valerie leaned forward, frowning. "If you know how, then why don't you?"

Fenton opened his mouth to answer, but couldn't think of a response. They _should_ fight back. Why didn't they?

Like a boomerang, Phantom's presence returned against Fenton's arm. "It would make matters worse," he whispered. "Dash would be compelled to prove his worth as your tormenter."

The human shifted, trying to edge away from the ghost's cool breath without being noticeable. "Um…" He glanced at the invisible Phantom. The explanation was sound…he didn't have a better response…but he didn't need his help!

"Just say it, Fenton."

The boy sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Because it would make it worse. Dash would feel like he had to beat me to a pulp to show he's better."

Valerie shook her head. "But he only attacks you because you let him. If you stood up to him, he would find someone else."

Fenton frowned. "Exactly why I don't fight back," he said, the words jumping to his tongue now. "I'm tough, I can take it. But other kids at school…I would rather Dash target me than some helpless kid."

His girlfriend crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the back of the booth. "No offence, Fenton, but you're one of those helpless kids at school. You shouldn't have to put up with Dash anymore than they do."

Phantom grabbed his shoulder before Fenton could snap a retort. "Let it go. Valerie cares too much to support your reasoning."

Fenton bit his lip, swallowing the words on his tongue. He disliked letting Valerie win the argument, but he also recognized the face Valerie now wore as the one she used whenever she argued with Danny Phantom, and he knew from experience it meant she wouldn't back down no matter what he said.

"Change the topic to one that will make her smile," Phantom instructed.

A sudden dip in the restaurant's noise level forced the ghost to press closer against Fenton to avoid being overheard. This close, Fenton could feel the muscles of Phantom's chest against his arm, and the human bit his lower lip, willing his blood to circulate normally.

"The goal is to enjoy each other's company," Phantom continued, "and one way to do that is to make each other laugh."

Fenton breathed in deep breaths, trying to cool his blush and dispel his anger. If he wanted this date to turn out right—and prove to Phantom he wasn't a hopeless inconvenience to them both—he needed to at least heed the ghost's advice. But it was hard to think straight when the guy you had been kissing all day was pressed flush against your arm, breathing into your ear.

 _Think Valerie, Fenton,_ he thought. _She's beautiful and dangerous, and could probably take Phantom out within five seconds flat if she knew he was here…now what were we talking about? Dash? Valerie, Dash, the Red Huntress…_

"I bet the Red Huntress could show Dash up."

Phantom squeezed his shoulder as Valerie's eyes widened, thrown by the mention of her alter-ego.

Panicking, Fenton hastened to add, "Uh, I-I mean, have you seen her? She's awesome! Sh-she could take on Dash no problem!" He forced a chuckle. "And getting beaten by a girl would be _so_ humiliating…" Another warning squeeze by Phantom and Fenton's back went rigid. "Uh, n-n-not that girls are weaker than guys! I just meant th-that _Dash_ thinks that, which is ridiculous, of course, b-because my mom's a skilled fighter and Sam always beats me and Tucker at video games and—"

"I get what you mean, Fenton," Valerie interrupted, a soft smile on her face. She set her elbows on the table again as she leaned forward. "You know about the Red Huntress?"

"Y-yeah. I mean, between my parents and the media, I hear a lot about her."

"Then you know she views Danny Phantom as an enemy," she said, voice carefully neutral. "Doesn't that bother you?"

Fenton paused, waiting for Phantom to make a suggestion, but instead, the ghost abandoned his side, and the sudden loss of contact left Fenton feeling oddly alone. The boy licked his lips, gathering his thoughts. "I…I'm not sure…but she does what she feels is right, and that's honorable if you ask me."

A smile blossomed across Valerie's face, proving he had said the right thing. She reached across the table and rested her hand over Fenton's. The boy flushed and dropped his eyes to their hands. He could feel the air around him growing too warm, too thin, too suffocating. He felt sweat break out over his palm, his forehead—

Phantom pressed against his side again and wrapped an arm around his waist, the ghost's cold temperature cooling Fenton's like a breeze of fresh air. Muscles relaxed as Fenton allowed his other's presence to wash over him. Returning his gaze to Valerie, he smiled and asked her for her thoughts on the Red Huntress.

* * *

The hand Valerie held in her own as she and Fenton walked to her apartment felt clammy with sweat, and it squeezed hers so lightly it was like it wasn't even there. Sometimes, Danny's grip on her hand would become almost painful, usually when he tripped or was startled by something…both of which happened far more frequently than Valerie would have thought possible.

At first, she had viewed his clumsiness as cute, but now she was starting to wonder if something was wrong. Danny was far from the most coordinated boy, but it had been at least two years since he was this clumsy. And nervous…and jumpy. Like he expected something to jump out of the shadows.

For the third time that night, Valerie's thoughts wondered to the newspaper article from yesterday's edition, where Phantom had been captured flying into Fenton's room. Danny swore he never saw the ghost, but he was the son of two professional ghost hunters _and_ he was the boyfriend of the Red Huntress. He was a prime target for a ghost attack, especially for a ghost as crafty as Phantom. If the so-called protector of Amity Park had his sights set on the Fenton boy, it would explain why Danny jumped every now and then and was almost constantly scanning the empty area around them.

Or the reason wasn't ghost-related at all but rather caused by Valerie.

Guilt she rarely acknowledged bit at her stomach, making her feel ill. She looked at Danny. The boy was walking a pace or two slower than her with his gaze firmly locked on the ground. Occasionally he would glance to the side or at their interlocked hands, but it was only when he felt Valerie's gaze on him that he met her eyes, only to flush a second later and return to staring at his shoes.

Valerie sighed, wishing she had the guts to break the silence between them. It had descended on them some time after they left The Works, and it had only become more and more oppressive the closer they got to Valerie's apartment. She could practically feel the tension radiating off Danny with each step.

It didn't take a genius to know what Danny was so nervous about. Forget ghosts and other paranormal phenomenon. The one Danny was afraid of, the one who had hurt him, was Valerie herself.

Valerie's own eyes lowered in shame. Danny's hurt expression still haunted her. He had looked so…so crushed. She had apologized for laughing at him a second later, of course, but she knew from experience how little apologies meant. She had turned to her friend Starr to ease her conscience and to seek advice. Unfortunately, Starr was a pathological blather-mouth. In the end, Valerie had just made everything ten times worse for Danny.

Ever since then, Danny had been distant and nervous around her. He had canceled their date last Friday without any explanation, and he had avoided her the rest of the week. Honestly, she couldn't blame him, but that didn't mean she would just let their relationship fall apart because of one mistake. She had been trying to think of a way to repair the damage she'd caused when Danny gathered the courage to ask her out again, and a plan had formed in her mind.

The beginning of the date hadn't played out as she had hoped—what with Danny showing up in a turtleneck of all things, ignoring her, tripping over his words, spilling his water and disappearing into the bathroom for an extended period—but it improved after he'd been given the chance to regain his composure in the men's room. He was still mildly distracted, but he actually smiled at her and participated in conversations.

It was the end of the date she was looking the most forward to, however, when they would share a goodnight kiss and she would be presented with the opportunity to rebuild Danny's confidence by showing him how to kiss. There had been potential there when they kissed last time. She knew Danny could become a very skilled. He just needed to practice.

And she would be the one to supply that practice.

The thought brought a smile to Valerie's face as she led Danny inside the apartment complex. In comparison, the boy tensed as soon as they passed the threshold. His eyes darted around the lobby and behind them, as if searching for something. Once again, Valerie's thoughts returned to ghosts terrorizing her boyfriend, but she shook it off a second later. She had ghost detectors and hidden weapons located all around the complex. Only Phantom had ever made it inside undetected before, and she had made sure he learned his lesson about trespassing into her domain.

Valerie's apartment was on the second floor, and Danny's hand tightened around hers as they got closer. She could definitely feel the tension pouring off him now. Hoping to alleviate some of that tension, Valerie sent him an encouraging smile. Danny returned a small smile, although it shook around the edges and faltered once they entered the staircase.

"S-so, how's your dad?" Danny asked.

The sudden break in the silence made Valerie blink. "He's fine…a bit overworked and still urging me to focus more on my grades than on my jobs, but he never complains about living here. He does keep insisting on having a 'guy talk' with you, though." She cast her boyfriend an amused smile.

Danny laughed nervously and used the hand not clamped around Valerie's to rub the back of his neck. "Something tells me he doesn't want to talk about fishing…"

"Oh, I don't know…I have a feeling tadpoles will be mentioned…" Danny flushed, sputtering, and Valerie laughed at his horrified expression. "I'm only teasing you, Fenton. Daddy trusts you more than that."

Danny forced a nervous chuckle. "G-good. I don't think I could survive the resulting heart attack…"

The joke earned another laugh from Valerie. By the time they reached her door, she was relaxed—excited even—while Danny was as tense as ever. Valerie slipped her hand out of Danny's hold and turned to face her boyfriend. He was beat red and couldn't hold her gaze for more than a few seconds, but she would fix that soon.

"Well, it was no picnic on Lookout Hill," she said, "but The Works was certainly interesting."

Danny nodded, shuffling his feet. "Y-yeah…that Onion Ring Tower was pretty neat…"

Silence descended on them again. The uncomfortable kind, where both parties are unsure about what to do. For all her planning, Valerie hadn't considered _how_ she would get Danny to kiss her. She had assumed he would jump right in, to give himself a second chance, but he was hesitating now.

 _I really must have hurt him,_ she thought to herself, biting her bottom lip. _He looks terrified…maybe I should take the first step, ease him into it._

Before she could act, Danny stepped forward. He lifted his eyes to meet Valerie's. His cheeks were still red, but his gaze was unwavering. This was it then. Valerie released her bottom lip and allowed her eyes to fall to half-mast. She evened out her breathing and tried to calm her racing heart. Danny stepped closer, close enough for her to feel his body heat, and her vision grew hazy as she allowed her eyes to close further.

When she felt Danny's lips, it wasn't where she expected. She opened her eyes, but Danny was already walking—practically running—towards the staircase. Valerie bit her bottom lip and pressed a hand to her cheek, the lingering heat from Danny's kiss tingling beneath her palm.

* * *

Fenton stormed out of Valerie's apartment complex so fast he didn't notice the light rain soaking his clothes and hair. He _did_ notice the cold presence that joined him soon after, although he tried to ignore it. He picked up his speed, trying to outpace the ghost. He made it to the street corner before Phantom suddenly appeared directly in front of him. Surprised, Fenton collided with the other boy, but the ghost had been braced and caught him easily.

"What happened?" he demanded

Fenton tore himself away from Phantom, crossed his arms, and scowled at the rain-speckled pavement. "Nothing happened."

"Nothing as in nothing you want to talk about, or as in nothing remarkable?"

"Nothing as in it's none of your business!"

"Oh yes," Phantom said, and Fenton could practically _hear_ the eye roll in his voice. "Let us just forget for one moment that we are the same person and that, technically speaking, the date you shared with Valerie was also supposed to be my date and therefore everything that happened on or after said date is technically my business as well, _what_ , my dear human self, could possibly have happened in the last five minutes that has you so irritated?"

His tone revived the flustered blush on Fenton's face. Scowling, the human shoved past the ghost and marched down the sidewalk. Unfortunately, Phantom fell into step beside the human, silent, but clearly awaiting a response.

It wasn't long before Fenton snapped. "If you had been there you would have seen what happened. You've been sticking your nose into this date ever since you showed up, but when it gets to the really difficult part, you disappear! Where were you?"

"Waiting outside in the rain," Phantom replied. "You know as well as I how dangerous Valerie's building is to a full ghost. I saw no reason to risk detection when you were so adamant about proving your abilities on this date without me." He glanced at Fenton, frowning. "That was the impression I received, anyway. Was I wrong?"

Fenton hugged his arms closer against his chest, glaring at his shoes as he stomped across the wet concrete.

"I don't understand, Fenton," the ghost continued. "That was what you wanted, right? You fought against my presence throughout the majority of the date, so I assumed—"

"I _blew_ it, Phantom!" Fenton spun on the ghost, his heated glare now focused on the shining green eyes before him. The rain had by now soaked his bangs, the dark strands sticking to his forehead. Angrily, he wiped them away. "I ruined _everything_! The date, the kiss, the—the…the fucking walk to her apartment! If I had just let you overshadow me, the night would have turned out perfect!"

"I still wouldn't have been able to enter her apartment," Phantom said, annoyingly calm in the face of Fenton's anger. "I would have been forced to leave your body, and you would have been disoriented and unable to salvage any part of the kiss." He stepped closer to Fenton. "But I don't believe you ruined anything. Tell me what exactly happened."

"What happened?" Fenton repeated, incredulous. He started pacing in a sharp circle, his hands clawing at his hair. "I-I froze up! I knew what I had to do, but when it came down to it, I-I-I just…"

"What did you do?"

"I kissed her…"

"…But?"

Fenton sighed, ducking his head. "I kissed her on the cheek…"

Phantom fell silent as he digested the information, the only noise between them the soft hiss of water striking the earth. Fenton stared at his ghost half, waiting for a verdict. His eyes caught on the water droplets raining around the ghost boy, how the droplets captured and reflected Phantom's ethereal glow as they sprinkled around him, giving the ghost a sort of misty aura that sparked like it held fireflies trapped inside. Fenton wanted to laugh at his ghost half _sparkling_ of all things, but found himself instead enchanted by the light show.

"Your actions ruined nothing," Phantom said at last, and blue eyes shifted from one light show to another as Fenton returned to staring into Phantom's eyes. "A chaste kiss can be considered romantic as well. It's possible your kiss left a greater impression on Valerie than if you had you attempted something more, uh, passionate."

"Something 'passionate' is what we spent all day practicing for, Phantom. It's the whole reason all of this—" he gestured between them "—happened in the first place. Don't you dare act as if I didn't just let us both down in there." He swiped drenched bangs out of his eyes again, trying to scowl at Phantom, although he suspected he looked more like a pouting, drowned rat. "This was supposed to be our chance to redeem ourselves to her."

Phantom shook his head, the action somehow managing to toss his own wet bangs away from his eyes. "There will be other chances at redemption. This one date doesn't need to be perfect." He tilted his head slightly to the side and touched his busted—now bruised—lip, smiling dryly at Fenton.

Now Fenton knew he was pouting. "Who has a change of heart in just one hour? You're supposed to be mad at me! You're supposed to yell at me for ruining our chances with Valerie and complain about how you should have overshadowed me when you had the chance!"

Phantom chuckled, tempting Fenton to hit him again. The ghost must have noticed where Fenton's thoughts were heading because he stepped out of arms reach. "I apologize, Fenton. It's just impossible to not…it is hard not to notice…" He chuckled again, an undercurrent of embarrassment in the sound. He rubbed the back of his neck and gave Fenton a lopsided smile. "You just look ridiculously cute like this…"

Fenton blinked at him, feeling lost. He opened his mouth to respond, only to find the logical part of his brain had shut down. "Dude," he grumbled at last, "you're _really_ infuriating sometimes."

Phantom closed his eyes, still smiling, and brushed his own white bangs out of his eyes. "I must be, considering how often I annoy you." He reopened his eyes and offered his hand to Fenton. "We should get you out of the rain before you catch a cold."

The human stared at the outstretched hand a moment before frowning at Phantom. "You're acting nice again…" His eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You're up to something…"

The ghost raised an eyebrow. "The two are connected?" he asked, amused. He waved his hand, gesturing for Fenton to take it. "I know my actions tonight haven't inspired trust, but…" He smiled, a secretive glint in his eyes, and now Fenton knew he was planning something. "It's nothing painful, I promise."

Fenton warily eyed the hand. Gloved in white and dripping with rain water, it looked innocent enough, although its owner inspired little confidence…not that he had much choice. It was either take the hand or walk home in the rain…and it was a very long walk home.

Sighing, the living boy stepped within arm's reach. "Fine," he said. "But if you try anything like what you did before, I know where we keep the thermos."

Phantom smirked. "That would involve catching me first." He wrapped an arm around Fenton's shoulders and hooked his other arm beneath his knees, sweeping Fenton off his feet and into the ghost's arms. Instinctively, the human wrapped his own arms around Phantom's neck. Once he realized he was essentially hugging the other boy, he started to loosen his hold and pull back.

"I wouldn't suggest that," Phantom said, his knees bending and his face turned up to the sky. "You will want to hold on."

The ghost leapt straight up, and Fenton swallowed a startled shout. He clutched Phantom's neck and buried his face against the other boy's chest, trying to block the rain from striking his face and the wind from clawing at his hair. He pinched his eyes closed and gasped for breath as Phantom flew faster and faster into the sky, the wind howling like a fierce animal as they cut through the airstream.

Noticing his companion's discomfort, Phantom turned them both intangible, and the water they had accumulated made its second journey to earth while the two boys continued their flight uncontested. With the violent onslaught of wind and rain terminated, the human was able to suck in oxygen unheeded, although his lungs still had to fight for his breath; the air was thinner than usual.

Curious, Fenton permitted one eye to slit open. For a brief moment, he saw the world far— _far_ , like a speck of dust far—below them, and then they were swallowed by darkness. Phantom's half-visible form produced the only form of light, his glow bouncing off dark billows in an eerie display. Fenton closed his eye again and focused on the _thrum_ of Phantom's core beneath his cheek, allowing its gentle vibration to calm his own racing heart.

A few seconds later, Fenton felt a constant breeze strike them as Phantom stilled and returned their tangibility. Believing the ride over, he opened his eyes again, only to have them widen in awe. His blue irises darted right and left as Fenton absorbed new world around them.

Phantom smiled at him. "I take it you like it?" He crisscrossed his legs like he was sitting on a flat surface and then lowered Fenton into his lap, the human's legs dangling freely over the ghost's. He grabbed Fenton's wrists and peeled them away from his neck. He lowered them into Fenton's lap but didn't let go, consequently wrapping his own arms around the other boy's waist.

"It's awesome!" Fenton exclaimed.

He bent forward, peering below them where a blanket of clouds billowed and rolled in response to the gentle breeze in the stratosphere. They glowed a light gray color as they reflected the crescent moon's illumination, a far cry from the angry-looking black clouds underneath. The clouds stretched on for miles, like cotton had replaced land, and Fenton felt an irrational urge to see if they were as soft as they appeared.

Above the boys stretched an endless starry sky. It was free and clear, no clouds, with only the light from the moon polluting the skies and obscuring the stars. As he watched, Fenton saw a star streak across the sky. And then another. And another. Bright fireballs raining across the sky. A large grin split Fenton's lips.

"I had given up on seeing this," he said, caught up in watching the burning meteoroids disappear behind the curved cloudscape. "I mean, I wanted to, but with the clouds and the date with Valerie…" He trailed off and then twisted at the hip to look over his shoulder at Phantom. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"You've been a jerk all day, Phantom," Fenton said, his eyes narrowed. "Why are you suddenly being nice to me? I just _ruined_ the date!

The ghost's lips spread into a mischievous smirk. "I could always drop you if you prefer…"

It could have been Phantom carrying out the threat or his own paranoia getting to him, but the solid form beneath Fenton suddenly didn't feel so solid. Fenton clutched the ghost's suit, his blue eyes large with panic. "Don't you dare!" he hissed.

Phantom laughed until his human half glared at him. Still chuckling, the ghost stroked his thumb across the back of Fenton's hand, as if trying to calm the boy with that small gesture. "I'm not quite sure why, Fenton," he finally answered. "You appeared stressed on our walk to Val's apartment, despite my attempts to ease your discomfort. Then you entered the building and it started raining, and I…" His voice grew soft, slightly mournful. "I remembered you mentioning how you would rather watch the meteor shower than go on the date with Valerie."

Fenton's forehead wrinkled in thought. He vaguely remembered saying that, although it hadn't been a conscious thought until now. If Phantom _had_ given him a choice, he would have jumped on the chance without a second thought. "So this is sort of like your way to make up for being an ass?" he asked.

" _Language_ ," Phantom said, exasperated. "But yes, in a way. You know, you have not been the nicest Danny around either, Fenton."

"I didn't overshadow you."

"Nor did I punch you."

"Yeah, well I—"

Phantom sighed, the cold exhale hitting Fenton's neck. "Please, we have been fighting each other all day…"

Fenton looked away, biting his bottom lip. They lapsed into silence as both boys watched meteoroids streak across the sky, each boy naming off constellations in his head. A few meteoroids crossed as they streaked across the sky, creating a brief 'X'. Soon Fenton's eyes grew heavy and he felt himself begin to lean against Phantom. He jerked himself forward again, blinking, but a cold hand on his chest brought him back against the ghost's torso.

"You may as well relax," Phantom said softly.

"I try to avoid doing that around you," Fenton responded, not missing a beat, but allowed himself to rest against his ghost half. "It usually bites me in the butt later."

The other boy chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest and transferring pleasantly through Fenton's back. "I suppose that's true."

"You suppose? It _is_ true!"

"Whether it is true or not, I would rather you were comfortable in my presence, particularly right now. I only wish to enjoy the meteor shower with you."

Fenton turned his head to look at his ghost half, only to have the action bring his cheek into contact with Phantom's. Blushing, he jerked his head away. "Y-yeah, well, you could have merged us back together first."

Phantom hummed, amused, and rested his chin on Fenton's shoulder. "Perhaps…but events like this are better when shared. It wouldn't be the same if we were alone…technically speaking, I mean."

"I guess…" Unsure about how to respond, Fenton returned his focus to the meteor shower.

It really was a beautiful phenomenon…but Phantom had a point. If they were whole and everything was normal, it would just be another meteor shower, one of a dozen they had witnessed. The best memories were ones where they shared the sight with others. With their mom when they were really young, Jazz after she had said she knew their secret, Tucker and Sam after the whole fiasco with Desiree…

Danny had hoped to make another memory with Valerie, but Fenton supposed Phantom's company worked just as well…and vice versa. There was no way they would forget _this_ crazy day any time soon.

Phantom rubbed his thumb in small circles against Fenton's side, an action that was strangely comforting. Without consciously thinking about it, Fenton found himself resting his head against Phantom's, his forehead cushioned by the ghost's white hair. It became harder to focus on the waning meteor shower as his eyes grew heavy.

"We can merge back in the morning," Phantom whispered.

Fenton wanted to object, but couldn't find the energy or motivation to do so. It wasn't that he was physically tired…but the day had been emotionally and mentally draining. It was even harder to stay awake when the stars falling around them had a calming effect on Fenton's mind…like counting sheep. The whole atmosphere had a calming effect on him. Even Phantom's presence was comforting, although he hated to admit it, even to himself.

"I'm still mad at you," Fenton muttered, attempting to appease his pride.

Phantom snorted. "Go to sleep, Fenton."

"Don't tell me…what…what to do." Nevertheless, the boy's eyelids fell over his eyes and his breathing evened out. The last sensation Fenton felt before he fell unconscious was Phantom's core thrumming against his back and the ghost's warmer-than-usual aura enveloping him like a blanket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so everyone knows, there are 8 chapters currently posted over on FFnet. I just finished chapter 9 so I'm posting those chapters over here every other day, but you can go read all of them right now if you like. Assuming nothing goes wrong, I'll be posting the new chapter (Chapter 9) on Saturday. I'm really glad to see people are still interested in this story :)


	7. Reluctance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phantom has ~feelings~ and then freaks the fuck out.

* * *

" _I don't think you can keep someone you truly love at arm's length on purpose; they'll always end up in your arms."_ ~Holly Nichole Miller

* * *

Phantom flew through the skies towards Fenton Works, spectral tail trailing lazily behind him as he drifted between thermals. The sleeping human in his arms mumbled something, and the ghost tightened his hold, hugging his other self more securely to his chest.

Rain hissed as it struck the buildings below them, and even though Phantom knew Fenton couldn't feel the drops passing through his intangible body, the human turned his face into Phantom's shoulder, much as he had when they were ascending into the clouds. His hot breaths warmed the ghost's collarbone, the slow exhales at odds with the violent downpour surrounding them. A soft smile stretched the corner of Phantom's lips and he slowed his headlong pace, prolonging the moment where his human half remained peaceful in his arms and an almost calm haven stretched out between them.

A low rumble boomed along the clouds and jerked the ghost out of his thoughts. Phantom shook his head like he was trying to shoo away flies and then forced himself to fly faster. His thoughts were a jumbled mess, twisted by confusion. The sooner he could escape his other half's presence, the sooner he could think straight.

Moments later, Fenton Work's blazing sign cut through the veil of rain, casting a neon green light on the water droplets raining passed the letters.

The ghost bent his head forward and whispered into Fenton's ear, "Almost there."

The human didn't respond, blissfully unaware of everything except the gentle thrumming of Phantom's core, but the sky gave a second disembodied rumble and Phantom put on another burst of speed. He slipped through the solid bedroom wall, but as soon as they entered the secure shelter, he grimaced, deafened by the rain pelting the window and roof like pebbles thrown from the sky. Fenton groaned and buried his face deeper in Phantom's shoulder. The ghost shook his head, suppressing whatever warm feelings flooded to the surface.

The green-eyed teen floated over to their bed and settled the human's lower half on the mattress. He set his own knee on the bed for balance and then lowered Fenton's head and shoulders onto the pillow, taking a moment to inhale before he sat up again, sliding his arm out from beneath the other teenager, his fingers brushing along the boy's neck.

He stared at Fenton's chest, watching as it rose and fell with each breath the human took, and then lifted his gaze to the other boy's face. Two blue eyes blinked up at him, and Phantom froze, feeling like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Fenton's lips parted and formed Phantom's name, the soft word lost amidst the rain's angry assault against the house.

The ghost half of Danny glanced at the Fenton Ghost Catcher glowing faintly in the middle of the room like a dying glow stick, before he returned his gaze to the half-lidded blue eyes staring hazily up at him. He swallowed.

"Go back to sleep."

The boy's features twisted slightly, stubbornly defiant even while half-asleep, and Phantom failed to resist smiling. The ghost hesitated a moment before he traced a few fingers along Fenton's forehead, brushing black strands away from his brow. The human's eyelids lowered until only a sliver of blue irises were visible beneath his lashes.

"You deserve a long rest after today, Fenton."

At his words, Fenton forced his eyes to open again. "You do too."

Phantom's lips quirked further. "Ghosts have no need for sleep."

"Doesn't mean you can't rest," he mumbled, and before the ghost could respond, he shifted a few inches away from Phantom until there was enough room for his other half to lie beside him. Fenton turned onto his left side, one half of his face buried in the pillow and his hair strewn across the white cotton beneath his head like a crown made of silk. A corner of his lips lifted in a drowsy smile, a single sky blue eye staring hazily up at the ghost.

Likely the awkward boy hadn't meant his friendly expression to be so alluring and wouldn't appreciate the ghost encouraging such thoughts once they remerged, but while it existed and they were separate, Phantom couldn't resist the surge of attraction that twisted his gut or the way it drew him towards his other half like a magnet. He hesitated only a moment before he laid his cheek on the opposing side of the pillow and stretched his body along the mattress, mirroring Fenton's position so their knees bumped against one another.

Green eyes shone brighter as Phantom smiled at his human half, their faces less than a few inches apart. "Thank you."

The blue-eyed teenager hummed and slid an arm under his half of the pillow. "Your bed too," he mumbled.

Phantom opened his mouth to respond that it wasn't just that he was willing to share the bed or even that he was considerate of Phantom's own mental exhaustion despite all that he had put him through, but instead the ghost pressed his lips together in a slight smile. Fenton's eyes were barely focused, but he mirrored the ghost's expression without seeming aware of it.

A few minutes passed with Phantom staring at him, watching as Fenton's eyes grew heavier and less aware. Soon the human's breathing evened out and Fenton's jaw muscles grew slack, his lips parting. His gentle breaths breezed over the slick skin and carried across to Phantom's mouth, the heated air brushing the ghost's own lips like a lover's caress. The thought brought a small blush to the white-haired teen's cheeks.

Phantom cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should merge back now, after all."

Fenton moaned. "Tired," he slurred and snuggled his face deeper into the pillow, eyes finally closing. "'Morrow…"

Phantom bit his lip. And in the meantime, he had to resist any…lustful thoughts about his other half while the boy slept beside him.

A small task, one would think. Half the attraction Phantom held for Fenton dealt with the awkward teen's quirks. Traits that were, thankfully, hidden whilst he slept. With Fenton asleep, no sense of accomplishment would overcome Phantom when the skittish boy relaxed into his touch, nor would a rush of excitement course through his veins when Fenton did or said something unexpected. Phantom touched two fingers to his healed lips. Doubtless, the human was still capable of surprising him even in his sleep, but the ghost couldn't find it in himself to resent that.

Fenton put so much emotion into every move and gesture. There was an almost subtle grace to his movements, too, but only when he was comfortable and only when baggy clothes didn't hide the way his muscles rippled when he moved… He was quite adorable, in an odd way, but hardly unique. Phantom probably did the same, in a polished…meticulous way…

Fenton had a raw grace. Emotion personified and unrefined, a breath of fresh air against Phantom's deliberate and carefully executed words and actions. Fenton fascinated—

The ghost pursed his lips. He was, in essence, admiring the other half of his personality. Likely it was only because he could touch and observe his baser self that he now realized how fascinating such traits were…On the bright side, once they remerged, these attractions would be shared. Divided and beat into submission, if only by Fenton's pragmatic side, but still there. Perhaps Fenton's half of Danny would gain a better appreciation for himself instead of criticizing every flaw he saw in the mirror. But…

Phantom sighed and turned onto his back. He had to edge closer to Fenton to keep from falling off the bed, of course, but he ignored the warmth radiating along his right side in favor of staring at the glowing stars on their ceiling.

This would be his last night apart from Fenton. Once they remerged in the morning, they likely would never separate again, and if by some miracle their full self wasn't completely frightened by all they had thought and done, and was willing to separate once more, there was no guarantee Phantom's personality and Fenton's duel personality would appear and be free to interact again.

In a way, their rejoining would be their death as _he_ and _Fenton_ would cease to exist, lost to the true Danny's personality.

Phantom bit his bottom lip and looked at Fenton, but the human's peaceful expression only made his chest tighten further. Before he could stop himself, the ghost reached over and brushed his knuckles along Fenton's cheek. The boy's eyes fluttered, but it seemed forcing them open again exceeded his abilities.

Smiling, Phantom slid his fingertips along Fenton's jaw and stroked his thumb over the boy's cheekbone, marveling at how similar they were and yet how unfamiliar his other half felt to him at this moment. He could touch this boy, hear his independent breaths and feel the other teenager's soft skin glide beneath his fingers, the human's natural heat seeping through Phantom's glove and caressing his own skin in turn. He knew trapped behind closed eyes was a mind far different from his own, one that saw events differently and reacted to them in ways Phantom didn't understand. One that used to be a part of his but now felt alien to him.

His fingers curled beneath Fenton's jaw and journeyed back to his chin, lifting his head slightly.

The line between their separate halves was clear, not blurred, but it would lose focus and eventually fade into nonexistence come morning.

Phantom lowered his eyelids and brushed his thumb over the human's parted bottom lip, the soft pressure drawing it further away from the upper and creating a wider gap between the two. The dim light cast from Phantom's eyes intensified, and he caressed his other's lips again, unaware he was drawing closer until his forehead connected with Fenton's. He felt the human's heated exhales on his lips once more, unconsciously parting his own and allowing their breaths to mingle on his tongue. Green eyes closed, ignoring everything but the rain's drumming against the roof and the familiar feel of Fenton's lips on his.

The human mumbled something against his lips, and Phantom forced his eyes open, drawing back in surprise. Fenton was still asleep, but the ghost frowned and pulled his hand back, curling it into a fist so his fingers wouldn't try to touch the other boy again. With a groan he rolled onto his other side, turning his back on Fenton. This was ridiculous. He had better control than that. He took a deep breath and focused his thoughts on Valerie.

Kissing Fenton was oddly fun, yes, Phantom had gained a strange attraction for someone who was essentially his twin as a result, yes, but physical appeals were no more than sparks. The attraction he felt for Fenton—the other half of _himself_ —may shine bright for a brief moment, but it would eventually fade. Tomorrow, even. When they remerged…died…For now, he just had to endure this oddity until the sun rose.

Phantom suppressed a chuckle in his throat. Oddity indeed. He was attracted to the face, the body he had grown up with all his life. How crazy was he…He just…he needed to stop thinking about this.

The ghost shut his eyes and conjured Valerie's image, envisioning her in the bed beside him instead of Fenton. Her lips curled in a gentle smile, her lush hair all around them. A wild beauty tamed by sleep, and Phantom felt himself relax, his own lips forming a peaceful smile.

A few minutes passed with him daydreaming about his girlfriend, his mind finally sinking into a calming rhythm, but then heat along his back made his spine curve and push closer to the source, the cold teenager unconsciously seeking the almost uncomfortable warmth. His back met Fenton's hand, but Phantom didn't pay any attention to it. Not until the hand lifted over his body and a warm arm draped itself over his waist, pulling him to the heat source.

Phantom started. Fenton's nose pressed into the space behind his ear, humid breaths released from his mouth caressing Phantom's cold neck, and the ghost fisted the blanket beneath them, resisting his body's reaction. He could tell by Fenton's irregular breaths that the human was deep asleep, caught within the confines of a dream and not actually doing this on purpose, but…

Humans didn't normally seek out cold things while sleeping. Fenton should be shying away from him. Unless…

The human muttered a disjointed version of Phantom's name in his ear, and the ghost bit his lip, his suspicion confirmed.

A blush colored Phantom's cheeks and ears. As a teenage boy himself, he knew not to take the dream seriously and that Fenton was likely only dreaming about him now because his icy aura had affected his subconscious (he was the only cold being Fenton came into regular contact with, after all), but that didn't stop Phantom's mind from wondering down a direction it shouldn't.

As if the ghost's thoughts needed more convincing, Fenton nestled his face against Phantom's neck and shifted into a more comfortable position, his chest pressed along Phantom's spine. A gentle rhythm thudded just under his left shoulder blade, and the green-eyed boy squirmed, groaning.

Cuddling hardly warranted worse discomfort than their make-out sessions—moments that Phantom himself instigated—but the way their bodies aligned like matching puzzle pieces, and the soothing cadence of the rain just outside their room made Phantom's core hum, a nonphysical warmth spreading along his form.

Phantom shook his head. He needed to get away from this. Away from Fenton so he could think straight.

The ghost wiggled free of the human's grasp and floated off the bed. A cold chill filled his back and side where Fenton had pressed against him, but Phantom shook his head, pushing away the sensation. The human didn't seem to notice his absence, merely snuggled against the cold blankets and pillow. Phantom chewed on his cheek, staring at him a moment before he shook his head and flew out of the bedroom, soaring into the storm.

Thunder rumbled again, and Phantom paused, now a safe distance away from the house. Sighing, he dropped his intangibility and lifted his chin, allowing the rain to drench his face. Something was wrong with him…Whatever it was, though, he just had to endure it until morning. Once they remerged, he would be free of this confusion. Once…once they both stopped existing…

* * *

_Fenton's fingers threaded through Phantom's white hair and his other arm wrapped around his shoulders, the human clinging to his other half as Phantom pinned him against the windowpane. They had been discussing clouds just seconds ago, he was sure of it, but now Phantom's lips were on his throat, the ghost's hands up his shirt, and all thought about clouds had been blown aside. Phantom closed his teeth over Fenton's neck, and the blue-eyed boy groaned, arching his head back as his other half sucked harshly on the skin._

_Phantom's hands closed around his hips, and then Fenton found himself lifted higher up the window. He wrapped his legs around Phantom's waist and rubbed his lower half against the ghost's stomach, moaning his twin's name as the friction made his mind fog and his body flush. He felt Phantom smirk against his throat before he released the skin and tracked a trail of light kisses up Fenton's neck to his ear. The human shivered and murmured something—a plea, maybe._

_The ghost picked him up, and then Fenton found himself dropped on their bed. Fenton's legs fell from Phantom's waist, and now the ghost straddled his hips, elbows braced on either side of Fenton's head. He could feel his ghost's cold breaths against his lips and tried to wrap his arms around his neck and pull Phantom down for a kiss, but found himself incapable of even opening his eyes._

_It wasn't until he felt the green-eyed teen's lips touch his that he was able lift his chin and part his lips, meeting the hesitant swipe of Phantom's tongue with his own. The ghost shifted further over him, settling on his chest, and Fenton felt his skin shiver as the other boy's aura enveloped him. Phantom pushed Fenton's head deeper into the pillow, chapped lips rubbing against one another. Fenton felt the ghost's fingers thread through his hair, massaging his scalp, and forced his heavy arms to loop around his other half's shoulders._

_Unfortunately, Fenton couldn't hug him closer, but when his ghost separated long enough for them to breathe, he managed to sigh Phantom's name before the other boy resealed their lips. After a moment, Phantom removed his tongue and his lips from Fenton's again and instead pressed their cheeks together, whispering a shushing noise in his ear as his hand traveled down Fenton's stomach._

"GHOST!"

An explosion hit the wall above Fenton's headboard, plaster and green smoke blasting into the room. The boy gasped and threw himself to the side, accidentally tripping over his blankets and falling off the bed.

"Did I get him?"

Fenton lifted his head off the carpet and blinked at the doorway where Jack stood, blaster smoking around the barrel. "Dad?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep. His eyes widened a second later and he scrambled to his feet, using the bed as support. "D-dad! Wha—what are you doing?"

He eyes darted around the room, but didn't see any sign of Phantom—not that he would with their dad there. The blue-eyed teenager flushed and dropped to his knees, hiding his lower half behind the bed. He touched his fingers to his lips and blushed even harder.

As usual, Jack didn't notice. He looked at the scanner in his hand and pouted. "Darn thing must still be busted…" He shook it a little and then puffed out his chest. "Not to worry, son! Your old man'll make sure that no-good ghost kid doesn't go poking his nose in your room again!"

"A-again?" Fenton stuttered. He jerked his hand away from his mouth, telling himself to worry about his father now and his chilled lips later.

"That punk busted into my house undetected by our security system and purposefully allowed those nosey news parasites to catch him at it. No one makes a fool out of Jack Fenton!"

The boy stared, blinking slowly. After a moment, his dream-addled mind recalled a black and white photo, the funny looks his classmates had sent him, and his shoulders slumped as the tension melted away. "Oh," he said, "you meant Friday's newspaper…"

"Of course I did! Why?" Jack's eyes narrowed and scanned the room, his grip on his weapon tightening. "Has he returned? Is he spying on us? Show yourself, spook!"

"No!" Fenton cried, frantically waving his arms. "No, Dad, he's not here! Y-you must have scared him off…"

"Did I?" Jack blinked a couple times and then rested the gun's barrel on his shoulder, beaming. "I must have! The scanner's no longer picking up any ecto-readings. Ha! I bet that ghost kid flew off in a hurry the second Jack Fenton stepped into the room!"

"Y-yeah," Fenton said, forcing a smile on his lips. "So there's, uh, no reason to shoot more holes through my wall, right?"

A chunk of plaster fell on Fenton's pillow.

Jack's mouth formed an "O" before he puffed out his chest again. "A small price to pay for protecting my family from ectoplasmic scum! But, uh, your mother and I will fix this up in a jiffy, son, don't you worry! Today even! The longer you delay, the harder it is to patch holes in the wall, as your grandfather used to always say."

Fenton nodded and shifted uncomfortably.

At that moment, Jack's gaze finally landed squarely on the Ghost Catcher instead of wandering over it, and his brows furrowed over his eyes. "Heeey…what's the Fenton Ghost Catcher doing in your room _again_?"

"Uh…"

"You know your mother's rules. No faulty inventions allowed near you kids without our supervision."

"Uh, y-yeah. I just wanted something to, um, defend myself with. You know, in case Phan-er, the ghost kid showed up."

Jack shook his head and stuffed the scanner inside his belt. "Rules are rules, Danny, especially your mother's rules. Besides, the Catcher's not destructive enough to deter ghosts." The hunter slipped an ecto-pistol from its holster and tossed it to Fenton. His son gasped and leaned into the throw, his arms awkwardly catching the gun above his bed. " _That'll_ show 'em not to mess with a Fenton!"

The boy's grin wavered, but his unease went unnoticed by Jack, who had begun rambling about how much more fun they'll have on a father/son ghost hunting spree than on some lame fishing trip.

Fenton grabbed the gun's handle and held the weapon over the bed away from him, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He was fairly inexperienced when it came to conventional weapons, but an ecto-gun couldn't be that different from his ghost ray. And he had to admit, he felt vulnerable without his powers. Wielding a gun until Phantom dared to return and remerge would put him more at ease.

"—tell Maddie after you're done!"

The human Danny looked up, blinking. "What?"

"We'll tell Mads about you fighting ghosts after you return the Ghost Catcher to the lab! She'll be so excited!" A tear gathered at the corner of his eye before Jack wiped it away. "Our son's finally following in his old man's footsteps…Hurry up with the Catcher, Danny! There's no time to waste!"

Before Fenton had a chance to respond, Jack charged out of the room, grinning like mad. The teen made an odd sound and scrambled to his feet to chase after his dad, but stopped after a few messy steps. His, um, physical discomforts would make running difficult, and he didn't particularly look forward to sprinting through the house with a noticeable tent in his pants.

The boy blew his hair out of his eyes and collapsed on the bed. Great. He had just allowed his dad to enlist them in ghost training. Fenton ducked his head and ran his fingers through his hair. Phantom was _not_ going to like this… he'd probably try to play it off as no big deal, just like he did with Fenton's disastrous date with Valerie, but Fenton knew he'd just messed things up for them _again_. Only thing that could possibly be worse would be if Phantom…

Fenton frowned and touched his lips. Honestly, unnerving as the dream had been, it was hardly the first time he—er, they had dreamed about…that. About each other…in that way. After last Friday…well…

They had freaked out the first few times, but they were teenagers. Wet dreams happen…a lot…particularly when the teenagers in question experience their first ever make-out session and walk away from the incident with an aching discomfort between their thighs and a head full of roiling emotions. Although unnerving, that Fenton had such a dream now, after he and Phantom had spent the majority of yesterday lip-locked, didn't mean anything.

What did trouble him was how cold he had felt before—and after—his dad barged into his room. He could have _sworn_ it was real…he remembered the pressure on his chest and remembered wrapping his too-heavy arms around another firm body, chapped lips on his and soft hair brushing his cheek and forehead…

And the Fenton Tracker had led Jack into the room. Fenton no longer had his powers, which were the only reason it appeared "broken" in the first place, so there must have been a ghost in the room with him…Phantom must have kissed him while he was sleeping…but… _why_?

Fenton groaned, tugged on his hair one last time, and then stood up. Thinking about it wouldn't get him anywhere, he'd just have to ask Phantom about it later…indirectly, of course, so he wouldn't look like a total idiot if he turned out to be wrong.

The teenager shuffled over to the Ghost Catcher and lifted it up by the base, balancing the pole against his shoulder. He grunted and then walked unsteadily towards his door. He would just have to wait in the basement with the Catcher until Phantom returned. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes for the ghost to brave the Fenton household again, and then Fenton could get his answers and they could remerge long before his parents finished fixing the hole in his wall.

* * *

The setting sun cast an orange glow over the park, an otherwise romantic atmosphere had Valerie not been so keen on blasting highly charged anti-ghost energy through Phantom's side.

The ghost banked around a tree to escape a volley and braced his spine along the trunk. The energy exploded against the wood, shaking the plant a little and causing Phantom's hair to whip around his face, obscuring his wide grin. Pink smoke covered the area before Phantom shot out from the cloud and into the sky, Valerie hot on his heels. He performed a complex-looking barrel roll around Valerie's next shot, laughing when she hollered something about cocky show-offs. Phantom flipped onto his back and flashed his girlfriend a charming smile, curling his fingers in a small wave. She returned the greeting with another blast from her bazooka.

Phantom yelped and dived to avoid the shot before turning invisible. Valerie stilled her sled, swore, and tried to pick up his signature with her suit's built-in scanner. Phantom reappeared behind her and landed gently on her sled, his arms crossed behind his back as he leaned in to whisper, "Would you like to talk about it?"

Valerie gasped and swung her arm at him, but the ghost had already disappeared. "What makes you think there's anything I need to talk about, least of all to a _ghost_?"

"You just seem angrier than usual," Phantom said, circling the angry huntress, "which means either I have done something to upset you again or someone else has. Beautiful as you are when angry, Val…" He reappeared before Valerie, his head slightly tilted. "I would much rather see you smile."

She growled and fired again, the ghost vanishing at the last second to avoid the attack. "Don't expect to see that any time soon, Phantom, because you _are_ my problem."

"Oh, so I _have_ somehow upset you again. What was it this time? Did I invade your dreams? Am I confusing your emotions? Have I—"

"You're haunting Danny!"

Phantom froze and his facial muscles grew slack as his invisibility slipped. "Fenton?"

Valerie's eyes landed on his location, and before he had a chance to regain his senses, she fired. Phantom gasped and banked to the side fast enough to avoid a direct hit, but the blast still struck his side, searing though the material of his hazmat and straight through to his skin. The ghost hissed and sped off in the opposite direction, one hand covering the bleeding wound.

"I haven't done anything to Fenton!" he shouted over his shoulder. He yelped as a pink ray came close enough to singe a few hairs.

"Liar! You can't fool me!"

Phantom avoided the next attack by diving straight down. He kept the steep angle, occasionally swerving around Valerie's blasts, but the huntress followed hot on his tail, shouting accusations and threats Phantom was unable to hear over the roar of the wind. They descended between two buildings—the winds buffeting Valerie slightly off course—but still Phantom continued his dive until he could hear the traffic noise. He angled his flight into a more manageable slope for Valerie's benefit so they flew just above the sidewalk.

A few pedestrians quick enough to spot them gasped and leaped out of their way, newspapers and other light items fluttering in the hunter's wake. Phantom threw a glance over his shoulder at Valerie before his gaze trailed to the bright orange disk on the horizon behind her. He flinched and then jerked his gaze away, concentrating on avoiding the obstacles presented by the busy sidewalk. A split second later he activated his intangibility and dived beneath the street.

Above ground, Valerie cursed and lifted her sled at a near vertical angle, coming to a sudden halt. A couple people shouted in surprise and jumped backwards. The huntress ignored the small crowd gathering around her and activated her ghost scanner, quickly keying into Phantom's ecto-signature. A map of the city appeared across her visor, a flashing green dot hovering beneath her location before zooming off in the opposite direction. Towards Fenton Works…towards Danny.

Valerie's lips pulled back over her teeth as she growled. She slammed her foot on her board's peddle and rocketed after the ghost, barely clearing the civilians' heads. She had to reach Danny before Phantom. If she was right, he could be in grave danger—there was no telling what damage a jealous ghost could do.


	8. Accidental Design

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit hits the fan.

* * *

 

_"It is a mortifying truth, and ought to teach the wisest of us humility, that many of the most valuable discoveries have been the result of chance rather than of contemplation, and of accident rather than of design."_ ~ Charles Caleb Colton

* * *

Fenton groaned and collapsed onto the couch, bouncing slightly on the cushions. He glared at the TV as it showed yet another clip from earlier that day of Phantom egging the news helicopters on, the hero grinning cockily at the camera as he flew backwards.

Usually Danny avoided those helicopters and treated them like the irritating pests they were when they persisted. But Phantom…he smiled at the reporters, winked at them just before he escaped their trap, and sometimes he came close enough to chat with them—checking that they were all right if there had been a near collision and maybe answering a question or two to entice them into another round.

The first few times Fenton had seen this, he'd just about exploded with nerves, thinking his ghost half was going to blow some important secret, but the ghost handled each confrontation like a pro, answering each question with an easy smile even while he mixed reality with fiction. Naturally his other half had to be a master of duplicity on top of everything else. Jerk.

Always eager to improve their ratings by discussing their local superhero, the press was going crazy over "this abnormal behavior" and kept theorizing over what could have caused it. Some just thought Phantom was being especially playful today, critics warned this was another sign of him being two-faced, and others (the gossips) wondered if the change in attitude had anything to do with Amity's most wanted teen bachelor finally finding a girl to show off to.

Fenton was almost curious himself how Phantom would answer that, what with Val—wait, no, they were going to merge back before that could happen, even if he had to drag his wayward half, kicking and cursing, into the basement by his pretty white hair.

The boy made an odd growling noise in his throat before he stood up and began pacing again. Loud banging from upstairs resumed as his parents returned to fixing the hole in his wall, and Fenton hunched his shoulders, making a face. The noise (plus their dad's random shouts) had driven Jazz away already, and if Fenton hadn't been waiting for the other half of himself to bring his ass home so they could reunite, he would have left too. Gone to Tucker's or Sam's and—

"Fenton!"

Fenton sucked in a breath and spun around. He caught a glimpse of white hair and luminous green eyes seconds before Phantom slammed into him. They collapsed backwards onto the couch with a shout, but Fenton barely had time to catch his breath or become alarmed by their tangled limbs before Phantom scrambled up his body and sat on his hips.

"What are our parents doing in our room? Where's the Ghost Catcher?"

Fenton gaped at his panicked twin. The ghost's lips pulled back over his teeth and he grabbed his other half's shoulders, shaking him until Fenton's surprise snapped like a taut wire and his earlier anger and frustration came rushing back.

"You would know if you had been here!" he shouted, shoving his hands against Phantom's chest. The ghost's knees squeezed his waist, keeping him from unbalancing, and Fenton glared, heat warming his cheeks. "Where the hell have you been?"

"It doesn't matter." Phantom's fingers clenched around his human half's t-shirt. "Where is the Ghost Catcher?"

"In the basement! And yes it does-"

Phantom spread his energy over Fenton, and the human gasped, his skin tingling. They fell through the couch, the floor, down into the basement. Plummeting as fast as if they had fallen off the OP center's roof.

Fenton scrambled for Phantom's shoulders and wrapped his arms tightly around the other boy's neck. His heart stopped beating, his stomach tight with instinctual fear. Their fall jerked to a halt, but Fenton couldn't stop his rapid breathing or his trembling. He buried his face against his other half's shoulder, clinging to the illusion of stability Phantom offered even as the human's feet dangled in open air.

After a few seconds, his breathing calmed, his chest no longer heaving against Phantom's as he gulped for air. Instead, their torsos moved together as both boys breathed steadily, the ghost's tail swaying between Fenton's legs and the thrum of Phantom's core vibrating against the human's beating heart.

Phantom's arms, situated around Fenton's ribs, loosed. "Fenton?"

The blue-eyed boy jerked his head off the ghost's shoulder, cheeks flushed in humiliation. "A little warning next time, you jerk!" he shouted.

Phantom winced and his grip tightened again, but his eyebrows were still pinched and after a second his gaze wandered off Fenton and began searching the lab for the Ghost Catcher. "I'm sorry, but we don't have the time."

"The hell we don't!" Fenton unwrapped his arms and fit his elbows between their chests, shoving against Phantom and arching his spine away from the other boy. He kicked his legs, but the ghost's tail danced out of reach. "We had plenty of time this morning before you decided to flirt with your adoring fans all day, so you can damn well find the time to talk to me for five fucking minutes!"

"I was not—"

"You were now let go!"

Fenton wrenched himself out of Phantom's grasp, and without the ghost's support, he fell backwards, nine feet above the floor. His eyes widened and he sucked in a breath. Phantom's horrified expression mirrored his, their eyes locking before Fenton pinched his eyes shut, bracing himself. Cold hands seized his ankle and the human's momentum lurched to a stop. Opening his eyes, Fenton saw the metal floor swaying a foot or so below him, and he released a shaky breath.

"You bumbling idiot!" Phantom scolded, his usually steady voice breaking on a few syllables. "There are safer ways to reach the floor, like, I don't know, asking nicely?"

"Oh, shut up!" Fenton extended his arms and set both palms on the floor, managing to stop himself from swaying dizzily above the floor. "You weren't exactly listening, anyway." He kicked his free foot at Phantom, growling to himself when the ghost tightened his grip on his ankle instead of releasing him. "Let go already!" He kicked at his other half again, but Phantom grabbed his other ankle and held the two apart. "Phantom!"

"Is violence truly the only way you know how to solve things?" the ghost asked, and Fenton got the impression he was on the receiving end of a disapproving frown. His ears burned, but it had little to do with the blood flooding his skull.

"Well, maybe if you would listen without me having to resort to violence!" Fenton jerked his legs and wiggled his hips, throwing his whole weight into the movement in an attempt to break Phantom's hold on his ankles. Fenton's t-shirt fell further down his torso, pooling around his neck and armpits. "For fuck's sake, Phantom, let go!"

"And that is another thing!" The ghost wrapped his tail around Fenton's right leg, restraining the majority of his struggles. "Why must you swear so often?"

"Because you keep pissing me off!" Fenton pushed off the floor and swung his upper body up. He managed to grab the tail molded to his jeans like a snake, but the sleek appendage didn't offer much of a handle-hold. He fell back down and had to place his hands on the ground again to stop his momentum. He growled deep in his throat and began thrashing again, throwing all of his weight into the motions. Not that it did much, Phantom being a gravity-defying being and all. Weight meant little to him. "You said we didn't have time for this!"

"That was before you started behaving like a brat!"

"Oh, _I'm_ the bratty one? Who's the one holding me upside down? By my _feet_?"

"Who is the one cussing and trying to bully his way through a problem?"

"I repeat, you're holding me up _by my feet_!"

"Because you're behaving like an immature child!"

"Dude, I'm getting light-headed!"

"Apologize and I will gladly set you down!"

"I can't feel my toes anymore!"

"Would you just-"

"I'm going to pass out!"

"You are not-"

"Black spots-"

"Oh for the love of- _Fine_!"

Phantom released his ankles, and for a second, Fenton balanced solely on his hands. His blue eyes widened, his left arm gave out, and his body inevitably pitched to the side. His body crumbled to the floor, the boy gasping in fear. His knees slammed against the metal flooring, and the human sucked in air through his teeth, his eyes stinging as they watered. Another hiss-metallic, metal grating against metal-sounded in the lab, and he forced his eyes open again.

Phantom lifted his thumb off the genetic Fenton lock, his form lit from behind by the now-open Ghost Portal. "Valerie in full hunter mode will arrive here within a few minutes." Fenton forced himself onto his feet, wincing as his weight strained his bruised knees. "She has gotten it into her head that I intend you harm, for some reason."

"Yeah, wow, I can't imagine how she ever got that idea." Fenton braced his hip against the counter and glared between his ghost half and the portal. "So what, you're gonna run away to the Ghost Zone and try to wait her out? And meanwhile we stay separated for another whole frickin' day?"

"You refused to remerge and I don't have the time to argue over it with you!"

"We had plenty of time this morning!"

"We had plenty of time last night as well!" Phantom shouted, one arm thrown out for emphasis. "The point is we don't have time _now_." He turned his back on the human and glared at the portal, his spine unnaturally stiff for him. Fenton clenched his jaw and stumbled after him, using the counter as support. "I will return in a few hours. We can remerge then..."

"What's the point? I may be pissed at you, but we're already here and there's no guarantee Valerie will stop hunting you just because you enter the Ghost Zone." Fenton halted about a foot away from his other half. He bit his lip for a second before pressing on. "I don't even care anymore, all right? Let's just merge back already, I'm sick of being only half of myself."

Instead of agreeing, Phantom's shoulders hunched. The gloved hand resting on the counter clenched into a fist. "So it hasn't even occurred to you yet..."

"Obviously not." Fenton's frown deepened. He crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight. _"_ You were all, _'Where's the Ghost Catcher, we have to merge back right now, we don't have tiiiiiime for this_ ' just a few minutes ago. What the hell is the matter now?"

"I'm not explaining it to you, there's no point burdening both of us." The ghost shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. Like he was shaking off the unmentioned burden. "We'll remerge once I return and that will be the end of it." He glanced over his shoulder at Fenton before he began his stiff trek towards the portal.

The human scowled, and though his knees sent painful shocks up his legs, Fenton pushed away from the counter and scrambled after his other half, grabbing Phantom by the arm. He tugged on his arm, forcing Phantom to finally face him. "You'll tell me now! I didn't wait all day for you just so you could brush me off a few minutes later!"

Phantom's scowled and jerked his hand out of Fenton's grasp. He opened his mouth to respond, but a second later he closed it. "Say please."

Fenton recoiled as if struck. "What?"

"It's not a difficult request." The ghost crossed his arms and raised his chin, one eyebrow lifted in challenge. "If you wish to know so bad you cannot possibly wait until I'm safe and can afford the time to explain myself to you then _I_ demand you show me an _ounce_ of respect."

Fenton ground his teeth together, glaring into his twin's green eyes. "How about you just tell me now so you can get out of here before Valerie blasts her way down here."

"Gladly. The faster you say please, the faster I'll be out of here."

"I'm not going to say please or apologize or do any of that polite crap when I'm so angry I could punch you!"

"Then there's no point for me lingering here, is there?"

Phantom quirked his lips in a fake smirk, jerked his wrist out of Fenton's grasp, and spun on his heel. Fenton's lips pulled back over his teeth. He launched himself at his other half, but Phantom must have expected it, because he turned intangible at the last minute and Fenton fell right through him. This time the human managed to direct most of his weight onto his hands, but his bruised knees still banged against the floor and were all too happy to make his nerves shriek.

Before he could collect himself, a cold hand grabbed his wrist and flipped him onto his back. He cried out in shock and (not even thinking about it) threw his fist out as he was rolled over. Before it could connect, Phantom grabbed his other wrist and slammed them both onto the metal floor. Fenton groaned and then glared at the ghost as Phantom set his knees on either side of his hips.

"Again you become violent." The ghost teenager tsked and then leaned down until his white hair brushed against Fenton's forehead. "My dear human self, I believe I am sensing a pattern."

"Yeah?" Fenton muttered, his cheeks warming, though it could have been anger or embarrassment. "Me too. How about some personal space!"

Phantom snorted, the cold gust brushing Fenton's lower face. "We went over this before. If we're the same person then no personal space exists between us." It looked as if he were about to add something, but a second later he closed his mouth. He stared down at Fenton, his eyebrows pinching together, and the human half felt his flush spread.

A loud thunk resounded in the empty lab, and the two boys froze. "That's odd. My scanners indicate an abnormality in the ghost child's structure." As one, Phantom looked up and Fenton lifted his chin, straining to see the portal almost directly behind his head. Skulker stared back at them, his metal eyebrows arching higher on his forehead. " _Two_ ghost children?"

Phantom floated off Fenton, and the human scrambled to his feet. He winced as his knees ached again, but he positioned himself between Phantom and their hunter, glaring at Skulker. He held one arm out to hold his ghost half back, ignoring Phantom as he hissed his name. "We're a little divided at the moment, Skulker. How about you leave and we'll try again tomorrow."

The ghost frowned and angled his head to the side, as if he were really considering the proposition. After a few seconds, his lips stretched into a wide grin, revealing uneven metal teeth. "Or perhaps I should just capture you now, while you're weak."

Fenton growled low in his throat. "But we're no longer half human or ghost! There's nothing unique about hunting us now."

"On the contrary, a hybrid with the ability to separate his two halves is indeed unique and unusual." Skulker lifted his arm and a large bazooka rose from the armor. "And I can always stitch the two of you back together later."

He shot a blast of green energy at the two of them. Phantom cursed under his breath and wrapped his arm around Fenton's waist. Before the human could object the other teenager whirled them around, released Fenton and raised his arms, erecting a dome-like shield around them both. Fenton stumbled against the counter and grabbed an ecto-gun off the surface. The blast struck the shield and exploded across the surface. The human dropped to his haunches behind Phantom, and when the ghost lowered the shield, he ducked under his arm. Skulker was several feet away now, flying towards them with his guns primed. Fenton raised his own gun and fired his own shot at Skulker before the smoke had cleared.

The ghost shouted in surprise, but couldn't dodge. The blast struck his wing and his flight lost its stability. He veered sharply to the left and crashed against the counter, sending beakers and weapons flying off the surface. Phantom wrapped his arms around Fenton's waist and launched them away from the exploding chemicals and weapons.

They set their feet on the floor again several yards away from the opposing counter. Fenton winced and leaned heavily against Phantom's chest, his knees aching. His other half's arms lowered to circle his hips and tightened their hold. "Will you be all right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine." Fenton grabbed Phantom's wrist and shifted his weight onto his left leg, scanning the lab for a familiar soup canister. "Where's the Fenton Thermos?"

The muscles against Fenton's back tensed. "In our room."

Fenton's blue eyes widened, and he twisted his midsection and gaped at Phantom, one forearm on his chest to force him to lean back as well. "You didn't even bring it with you?!"

"I wasn't hunting ghosts, I was-"

A sharp whine-different from Skulker's suit, more like the purr of new technology shooting out fire for jet propulsion-entered the lab, and both boys turned their heads toward the lab entrance. Valerie in full hunter get up flew her sled through the stair case and hovered above the floor. Her eyes scanned the lab, taking in the exploded lab equipment concealing Skulker's form and the open Ghost Portal which Fenton remembered their whole self explaining to her could only be opened by a Fenton.

Finally her gaze landed on Phantom, his arms around Fenton's waist and the human's arm on his chest as if to hold him back. Fenton could practically see the huntress drawing conclusions-the wrong conclusions-and he opened his mouth to shout "It's not what it looks like!" of all things, but Valerie beat him to it.

"Get your hands off of him!" she screamed. Phantom swore-the first time Fenton heard him do such a thing-and shoved his human half aside seconds before the blast left Valerie's gun. Fenton twisted to avoid landing on his knees, instead landing on his side, and as soon as his body made contact with the floor, he sat forward. Valerie's attack struck the ghost's attack and sent him across the room where he collided against the opposing wall, his gasp a pained shout.

"Phantom!" Fenton scrambled to his feet and rushed towards his other half, but a hand grabbed his shirt before he could achieve more than a couple yards. "Hey!" Valerie lifted him onto her sled like a potato sack, his stomach pressed against the metallic board at her feet. Before he could try to wiggle off or shout at her to let him go, the hunter whirled her sled around and rocketed up the staircase. Fenton pinched his eyes shut and held onto to the board tight enough for his fingers to turn white and his arms to lose feeling. He felt them take a couple sharp turns (the kitchen, into the living room) before Valerie slowed her board to a stop and Fenton allowed his eyes to open again.

Like he thought, Valerie had brought them to the living room. They hovered several feet off the ground, but that distance was quickly diminishing as Valerie directed her board to lower them down.

The huntress crouched on her board and laid her hand between Fenton's shoulder blades. "Are you all right, kid?" she asked, her voice unusually deep in an attempt to conceal it.

"I'm fine!" Fenton wiggled on her board, inching backwards until his toes found the floor. He shoved his front half off and landed on his feet, stumbling backwards into the couch both because of vertigo and his knees trying to buckle. He spread his arms over the couch's back and stared up at Valerie, meeting her frown with one of his own. "Look, I appreciate the help...Red, but you got it all wrong. Phantom was just protecting me."

Valerie's frown-what he could see of it through the tinted screen of her mask, deepened. Her nose wrinkled-something Danny and Phantom would have cooed at as adorable but which made Fenton think she'd smelled something she didn't like-and her hand tightened around her gun's handle, the material of her glove squealing. "Please tell me you're not honestly falling for his lies like everyone else in this town would."

"It's not a lie!" Fenton shouted, throwing out the arm holding the pistol. "Skulker came through the portal, and-"

"Skulker?" Valerie interrupted, her tone suddenly losing its mask. The grip on her gun loosened and she stood straighter before her eyes narrowed and she leaned towards him. "He's a hunter, what does he want with you?"

"I..." Fenton hesitated, flinching. "I...don't...know..." She frowned at him a while longer before her eyes widened and her face seemed to pale. Fenton rushed to add, "I may have just gotten in the way! He and Phantom seemed to know each other at the time, and I was in the lab when he showed up, so h-he may not even be interested in me..."

"Or maybe he is." Valerie's expression contorted into a furious scowl, her lips pulled back and her teeth exposed. "You're an easier catch than his usual prey, and you're valuable to more people than you realize..."

Fenton chewed on his bottom lip and stared at the space over her shoulder, his cheeks warming. A fortunate place to look, as it turned out. Skulker appeared behind Valerie, his gun aimed at the two of them, and Fenton sucked in a breath. He shoved off the couch and tackled Valerie to the ground, managing to escape the net launched at them by a hair. Valerie's sled, hovering in place where they left it, found itself bound in ecto-proof wires instead and clattered to the floor.

"Skulker!" Phantom's voice yelled, angrier than Fenton had ever heard his ghost half. He slashed his arm through the air, creating a long green arc of energy that would have slashed through Skulker's battle suit had the hunter not gone intangible. Phantom's next attack hit him just as he regained solidity, and the ghost was thrown away from the fallen humans. He collided with couch, flipping it over as he fell. The lamp on the coffee table overbalanced and smashed on the floor.

Fenton cringed and then looked down at Valerie, only then noticing he was laying on her chest, their faces a mask apart. Blood flooded his face. He squeaked and shoved himself off her, stuttering apologies.

"Fenton!" Phantom appeared beside him and grabbed his arm, dragging him onto his feet. Valerie scrambled to hers as well, but at the moment the ghost boy's green eyes remained fixed on Fenton's. "Get the Thermos out of your room."

"But my parents-"

"Are probably going to be here soon, anyway." Phantom turned him around and shoved his shoulder, pushing him forward. "You're Skulker's main target at the moment. Go!"

"What-" A second shove and Fenton stumbled a few feet forward before rushing to the staircase as fast as his knees would allow him. He paused once he was on the stairs and glanced back at them. Valerie and Phantom released each other's hands after completing a handshake, and Fenton felt a hollow pit in his stomach. Those spur-of-the-moment truces with Valerie had always made their heart-or core-race faster, a thrill of excitement and wonder overtaking them whenever they thought back on those moments. That a ghost hunter could trust them, that Valerie had their backs in these fights.

He had just missed out on one of those occurrences. He didn't know how he felt about that...

But now wasn't the time to wonder about it. The boy shook his head and charged up the stairs, leaning heavily on the rail. He heard the battle recommence behind him, Skulker likely having picked himself back up and attacked his opponents. He reached the second landing and raced for his room. Already he could hear his parents pounding nails into the boards criss-crossing the hole (a stand in until they could get the supplies needed for a full repair). A large crash sounded from downstairs, and the hammering finally stopped just as Fenton slid into the room.

Maddie spotted him first. She lowered her arm and frowned at her son. "Danny, what was that noise?"

"No time to explain!" Fenton scanned the room and grinned when he found the Thermos rolled against his desk. He dived for the canister and then raced out of the room with it clutched in his arms, shouting over his shoulder, "I'm absolutely positive it has nothing to do with ghosts though!"

"Ghosts?!" Jack shouted from inside the room, and Fenton slapped his forehead. He'd already reached the staircase when he heard his parents barreling out of his room, their weapons whining as they powered up. Fenton led the charge down the stairs, the Thermos clutched to his chest and his other hand gripping his ecto-pistol tighter. He glanced at the battle as he trotted down the stairs, breathing out in relief when he saw Skulker laying on the floor with Phantom and Valerie hovering over him.

That is until his parents spotted the same thing. Maddie leaped over the rail and Jack barreled passed Fenton, unintentionally shoving his son against the wall. Both parents took aim and Fenton's eyes widened.

"No! Mom, Dad, wait!" he shouted, but neither heard-or cared. Phantom and Valerie turned around upon hearing his shout, just in time for the ghost hunters to fire their attacks. Jack's shot went wide, hitting the wall just behind Valerie's shoulder, but Maddie's blast struck Phantom's chest and threw him against the wall for a second time that day. "Phantom!"

The ghost slid down the wall and landed on Skulker, his expression twisted in pain and his jaw clenched, teeth bared. Before he could regain control of his limbs, Skulker wrapped his arm around Phantom's chest, pinning the boy's arms to his side. "This family's just full of helpers," the older ghost commented, grinning.

Valerie hesitated, but the Fentons had no such reservations. Jack and Maddie fired at the two ghosts again and their son dropped his gun and fumbled with the Fenton Thermos, uncapping it. He stepped forward, but the two attacks were already inches away from Skulker and Phantom. Just before they struck, Skulker turned the two of them intangible and dropped through the floor. The blasts exploded against the wall, tearing yet another hole through the plaster.

Smoke filled the area for a few seconds before fading away. Fenton scanned the living room, his eyes darting around every nook as his feet guided him, spinning, further into the room. Minutes ticked by as they waited for the ghosts to make a reappearance, cold dread numbing Fenton's body with every second that passed and his other half remained missing.

"Aww," Jack groaned. He lowered his bazooka, pouting. "But we only just got here..."

"You know how ghosts are, Jack," Maddie said, patting his arm. "They run away as soon as they feel they're in danger." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a cookie.

Jack's sad face morphed into a wide grin. "Oooh, Macadamia nut?"

"Of course!" She handed it to Jack, and the man gobbled it down.

Fenton gaped at his parents, but he shouldn't be surprised-they didn't care about the ghost boy's wellbeing. He turned to Valerie, relieved and disappointed to see a torn expression on her face. "What about Phantom?" he directed at her.

The huntress glanced at the spot where the ghosts had vanished, but it was his parents who answered.

"Oh, sweetie, don't worry about him," Maddie said, already pocketing her blaster. "I'm sure that mechanical ghost will make quick work of that troublemaker."

"But-"

Jack sucked in a loud breath and practically skipped over to Valerie, jumping on the balls of his feet. "The Red Huntress! Maddie! Maddie! It's the RH!"

Maddie gasped/squealed and rushed over as well. Valerie drew back in surprise, her eyes wide. "You...know me?"

"Well, of course we know you!" Maddie said. "We make a point of knowing all ghost hunters, and you've certainly made an impression. You can't be much older than Danny and already you're showing us professionals up!"

"I even have your action figure!" Jack pulled said figurine from one of his numerous pockets and held it up for Valerie's inspection. A single proud tear escaped his eye as he chuckled. "Made it myself."

Valerie's lips stretched in a strained smile, but Fenton imagined he could see a slight blush behind the tinted screen of her mask. She glanced at her boyfriend, looking for his reaction, and Fenton realized this was the moment he should boast the red hunter's praises as well, assure Valerie it made no difference to him that she was a ghost hunter because he saw her alter ego was an amazing, kickbutt ghost fighter. But...

"He _helped_ us!" he shouted. "Skulker wanted to...to skin the both of us, and Phantom protected me before you guys even got there, and...and you're just going to _abandon_ him?"

"Don't take that tone with us, young man," Maddie said, her hands on her hips. "Your father and I have always strived to do what's best for this family, and that ghost has made it abundantly clear that he means us harm. If this 'Skulker' intends to dispose of him, then good riddance. This whole tone can rest easy tonight."

"Yeah!" Jack chimed. "What she said!"

"But, _Mom_ -"

"Not another word!"

"But you don't _understand_!" Fenton bent at the middle and pressed the Thermos and cap so hard against his head he could feel a headache responding. His eyes darted to Valerie, and he stood a little straighter, taking a half-step closer, expression desperate. "You made a truce with him, you've got to help."

"I..." Valerie hesitated, and Fenton's parents returned their attention to her. She kept her eyes trained on Fenton's, but the boy could see in the way her shoulders straightened that the approval of her fellow ghost hunters-older and less skilled than her as they might be-meant as much to her as the approval of her boyfriend.

"The truce had been made on the terms of your protection," she said at last, tone quiet. "So long as Skulker is gone and you're safe, the truce is fulfilled."

"But Phantom-"

"Has been captured by Skulker before, and he managed to escape just fine." She shrugged. "He might do so again, but either way, it's no longer my business. He's not my friend, he's my enemy. I'm not obligated to come to his rescue every time he gets himself into a scrape."

Fenton bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, trying to stop himself from shouting that Valerie had been the one to help him escape that time. And all other times he had been captured, Phantom had had a human to bail him out as well, even if it was something simple like reverting to his human form. Which he could no longer do because his human half was _twiddling his thumbs with a group of ghost hunters who refused to do anything useful_.

"Fine." Fenton recapped the Thermos and pulled the strap from its hidden compartment, slinging the canister over his shoulder. It settled against his spine as he bent down to retrieve his pistol. "Then I'm going after him myself."

"Oh no you don't, son," Jack said, taking a minor step forward. "Those ghosts are probably long gone in the Ghost Zone by now. We can't let you go running off into that place all by yourself."

Fenton spread his arms out and took a half step back. "Well, feel free to join me then, oh great hunters."

"Daniel James Fenton!" Maddie yelled, scandalized by his tone.

"You would seriously go into that creepy world full of dangerous ghosts to rescue the one that has been terrorizing our town?" Valerie questioned.

"Yes! What part of this is so hard to understand?" Fenton demanded. "I don't care if he's a ghost, human, or vegetable! He saved my life just now, as well as a couple times before this. I'm indebted to him, and I'm not going to abandon him now when he's the one in danger." He looked down at his pistol for a moment, checking that the cartridge was full, if only so he could take his eyes off the incredulous faces of his parents and girlfriend, their disapproval causing his hands to shake more than the thought of going into the Ghost Zone as a complete human did. "And it's more of a Zone really."

Jack crossed his arms and Maddie rubbed her temples with one hand, but Valerie narrowed her eyes and studied him at an angle. "You're serious about this? About charging into hostile territory to rescue _Danny Phantom_?"

Fenton opened his mouth to respond, but he had already said all that he needed to. He sealed his lips and nodded his head.

The huntress sighed and bowed her head. "Fine. I'll go with you then." Jack and Maddie rounded on her, exclamations of surprise flying off their tongues, but Fenton sighed in relief and allowed his stance to relax. Valerie did the same and offered him a hesitant smile before turning back to the concerned parents. "I've been to the Ghost Zone before, I've navigated its planes and I will protect your son with my life."

"But rescuing the _Ghost Boy_?" Maddie said, incredulous.

"Think of it more like detaining..." Valerie stroked the barrel of her gun. "Phantom will escape Skulker eventually, you can be sure of that, but if we grab him before then, he'll be _our_ capture."

Fenton winced, but the prospect made his parents hesitate, the pair glancing thoughtfully at each other. He ran his hand through his black hair, breathing deep to try and keep himself calm. He was about to save Phantom from one danger, just to place him in another, just as dangerous situation. He should have just snuck out on his own instead of involving hardheaded ghost hunters. He should have thought it through more, should have stayed downstairs to fight beside his ghost half, should have merge with Phantom when the ghost first showed up...

"Fenton! Move!"

His own voice, but shrill with fear and deep with echoes. The boy spun around and came face-to-gun with Skulker's raised arm, Phantom still held tightly against the robot's chest. Fenton had only a moment to take in the sparks shooting off the gun's charge-a stun gun-before Phantom kicked Skulker's arm and the shot flew passed Fenton's cheek. Black hair whipped around Fenton's face, the boy's heart stuttering in response to his shock and his eyes locked on the similar green pair in front of him. As a result, he only heard a female scream and a crash sound behind him. He only saw Phantom's eyes widen in horror and dismay.

" _Valerie_!" he screamed.

Fenton looked over his shoulder and saw their girlfriend slumped against the wall, her suit retracting like a frightened spider and her eyes shut tight. Unconscious. His parents whipped out their guns again, and Fenton turned back to the ghosts. Green light surrounded Phantom and the ghost boy blasted his way out of Skulker's grasp. He made a dash towards Valerie, but Fenton grabbed him around his waist and pulled his panicked ghost to his chest. Maddie and Jack opened fire on Skulker.

"I'll take care of her, Phantom, I promise, but you have to get out of here!" Fenton hissed. Phantom struggled against him, uncoordinated kicks and fingers clawing at his wrists in a pitiful attempt to make him let go, but Fenton tightened his hold and dragged him the opposite way, towards the staircase. "My parents and I can help her more than you can, and I'm sure she would rather have her boyfriend and his parents help her than her worst _enemy_!"

Phantom paused, his chest heaving under Fenton's arms, but his muscles were still tensed and his eyes were still locked on Valerie. Carefully, Fenton slowly began to release him. Skulker finally growled and flew off through the roof, abandoning the chase for now. The elder Fentons turned their gazes on Phantom and Fenton.

The human Danny put himself between the ghost and the hunters and shoved the Fenton Thermos against his stomach, pushing his other half back. "Go! I'll take care of her. Just trust me."

Phantom's eyes darted between him and Valerie-sparring one moment to glance at the hesitating hunters-before he growled in frustration and grabbed the Thermos out of Fenton's hands. He dove for the floor and disappeared through the ground.

"Awww!" Jack moaned again, depowering his blaster.

"Daniel James Fenton, what were you thinking?" Maddie demanded, marching over to him. "That ghost could have hurt you! _We_ could have hurt you. Never get between us and a ghost again, do you hear me?"

"Y-yes, Mom," he said cringing. He glanced around her at Valerie and breathed out a little shakily. There was no pretending he didn't know about her secret identity now. He wiped his palms against his jeans and tried to calm his rapidly beating heart.

Maddie frowned and followed his gaze. A second passed and then she gasped and clasped a hand to her mouth.

"What is it, Mads?" Jack looked at Valerie as well. A huge grin spread across his lips and he pointed both index fingers at the girl. "Maddie, Maddie!" He jumped back and forth on his feet. "It's the Red Huntress's secret identity! Quick, take a picture before our memory is wiped!" He squinted at her face. "She looks like Danny's age. Who is she?"

"That's Danny's girlfriend!" Maddie said, voice high pitched in a squeal. "Danny's girlfriend is the _Red Huntress_!"

"Danny has a girlfriend?" Jack grabbed fistfuls of his hair. "My son's dating a ghost hunter? That's my boy! Just like his old man!"

Fenton blushed and slapped his forehead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My least favorite chapter and unfortunately the one I left alone for the past four years. Yikes. Anyway, I'll be posting the newest chapter tomorrow or Sunday, depending on what my anxiety allows me :P


	9. Pressure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brand new chapter! Drama, humor, and action! Get it while it's hot!

* * *

_The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost._ ~G.K. Chesterton

* * *

A couple blocks away from Fenton Works, Skulker disappeared from sight. Phantom flew to the last place the older ghost had been and hovered uncertainly. His eyes darted to all the advantageous directions Skulker could strike from. He charged ecto-energy into his fists and reflexively bent his knees, ready to spring as soon as Skulker reappeared.

Anger and frustration didn't lend themselves well to patience, however, and Phantom had to clench his teeth to keep from yelling insults. Such a thing might work when he and Fenton were one, but Phantom felt it too crude for his tastes. He rotated in a circle, eyes darting until they landed back on the Fenton Works sign, visible even from so far away. He floated a few paces towards it before forcing himself to stop. He shook his head. He had to trust Fenton to protect Valerie…and trust their parents to protect Fenton.

"Come on, Skulker," he whispered, turning away from the house. "I have feelings to sort out, people to apologize to…I have no time for hide-and-seek!"

He heard a _chop-chop-chop_ noise behind him and spun to face it, raising his glowing fists. But instead of an attack from Skulker, a news helicopter appeared around the next building over and raced towards him, a camera already pointed at Phantom while its operator shouted questions Phantom couldn't hear over the whirling propellers.

Phantom groaned. He straightened from his defensive posture and shook his hands out to discharge the green energy. The last thing he need was the media thinking he was attacking their helicopters. With Skulker on the loose, it wouldn't surprise Phantom if the helicopter got damaged and his critics blamed him for it.

He flew towards the helicopter. The cameraman appeared to be grinning, and Phantom realized it was the same man who once asked his to sign his chest with a razor. He cringed. _Ew_.

"Get out of here!" he shouted over the chopping of the propellers. "It's unsafe right now, you must leave!"

"Danny Phantom!" the cameraman shouted back, not sounding nearly as alarmed as Phantom felt he should. "Show us a trick!"

_What am I, a dog?_ Phantom wondered, scowling. He stopped advancing on the helicopter and started floating backwards to maintain a comfortable distance. "You are in danger here, you should leave!"

"How about a smile for your fans, Phantom?"

Phantom narrowed his eyes at the man and pressed his lips together in a thin line. If he couldn't make them leave with Plan A, he'd have to use Danny's preferred Plan B.

Phantom waved his fingers cheekily at the camera before he activated his invisibility. He heard and ignored the cameraman's shout of dismay and dove for the alley beneath them. He dropped onto the ground and crouched beside a dumpster. The smell was incredible, and he pinched his nose, grimacing.

He was about to deactivate his invisibility when he heard a shout. He froze, waiting. Earlier that day he'd noticed his fans following the helicopters like the human parallel of scavengers and vultures, but he hadn't considered the dangers it posed. If Skulker grabbed even one to use as leverage…

The sound of a dozen humans running down the street echoed off the alley walls as the helicopter flew away in pursuit of a ghost they couldn't see. A few fans shouted his name. One shouted a proposition, and Phantom snorted.

He was about to stand when he heard two pairs of running footsteps coming towards him. Even though he was still invisible, Phantom ducked down further, cringing. The closer these humans came to him, the more likely Skulker would target them.

"How do you know that piece of circuitry isn't just leading us down a deep dark alley?"

Phantom's eyes widened and he straightened, his invisibility flickering.

"First, because the marriage of Fenton technology and my PDA is a beautiful, beautiful thing, and you should be in awe of its majesty, if not downright worshipful. Second, because of the suspiciously glowing dumpster right over there."

"You mean the one our fearless friend is hiding behind?"

"None other."

Phantom sagged against the dumpster, allowing his tension to leave in a brief burst of laughter. Sam and Tucker appeared around dumpster's edge, and Phantom allowed his invisibility to fully drop. He smiled up at them. Tucker returned the expression and offered him a hand up. Sam placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.

"On business?" she asked, smirking, "or were you just hiding from your salivating fans and their heartfelt marriage proposals?"

Phantom hummed. "Both."

"Ghost trouble?" Tucker asked. "Need help? I developed this sweet new program on my PDA that'll help us find the ghosts your Ghost Sense warns us about." He frowned down at his device, eyebrows pinched in thought. "The search radius is small, but it's just a prototype. I'll work out the bugs later."

Phantom hesitated. Ghost Sense? He'd forgotten about that. It didn't come naturally to him since he didn't _need_ to breathe anymore. He did so now, breathing in through his nose and letting the air out through his mouth. No chill raced up his spine and no visible wisp flew from his mouth. Which meant…

His core constricted, the ectoplasm in his veins sparking beneath his skin.

He launched himself into the air and spun around to face his friends, his quick actions causing them to jump. "Tucker, does your PDA sense another ghost nearby?"

"Uh…" Tucker fiddled with a few buttons on the PDA before shaking his head. "Nah, dude, just you. But like I said, the search radius is a bit small. Like, five feet small."

"Makes it kind of useless, doesn't it?" Sam teased, smirking.

"Blasphemy!" Tucker gasped. He clutched his PDA to his chest and cooed to it, "Don't you worry, Cassandra, the mean Goth doesn't know a thing about technology and how amazing you are."

"Wanna bet?"

" _Guys_ ," Phantom pleaded. His legs fused into a tail and began lashing restlessly. "I have to find Skulker before he doubles back on Fenton Works. Valerie and…well, Valerie is unconscious and vulnerable there. Skulker attacked earlier, and he might return while I search for him out here. I can't just wander around until I stumble upon him!"

"Okay, okay," Tucker said, holding up a hand. "Ghost on the loose, damsel in distress, got it. But my PDA still can't track Skulker unless we get close enough to where he is."

"It's mostly for our benefit," Sam added. "Unlike certain ghost-powered teenagers, Tuck and I have no way of knowing how close we are to a ghost. You'd be better off relying on your Ghost Sense." She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "You didn't leave Valerie out cold and alone, did you?"

Phantom hesitated. "No. She's…not alone."

"Then what are you worried about?"

"I'm…it's not…" Phantom ran a hand through his hair and glared at the ground as he bit down on his lip.

Perhaps, logically, he shouldn't feel so anxious. Jack and Maddie would do everything in their power to keep Valerie and Fenton safe, and while they were inept sometimes, they could protect their son and his girlfriend from Skulker without Phantom's help. Probably. He just felt he should be _there_. With Fenton. With Valerie.

He settled for a half truth.

"Valerie was fighting Skulker when she fainted in front of my parents. They know she's the Red Huntress." Tucker sucked in a breath and Sam's eyes widened. Phantom inclined his head, pleased they understood the gravity of that revelation. "Capturing Skulker is very low on my priorities list, at the moment."

"He'll just come back if you don't," Sam warned. "Remember that first time he tried capturing you? He kept popping out of nowhere." She shuddered. "Nightmare fuel. Like that fungus on Tucker's feet."

"Hey!"

"And if he does," Phantom said before another squabble could ensue, "I will deal with him then."

"We could always search for him on our way to Fenton Works," Tucker suggested, looking at Sam. "If he did double-back, we'll probably run into him on the way."

"Fine by me," Sam agreed with a shrug. "We were headed there anyway." She pointed a finger at Phantom's chest. "You have some explaining to do."

Phantom frowned at the finger. "Do I?"

"Yeah, dude," Tucker said. "You never wrote, you never called…we only have a few hours left before the weekend is over and we're only just now hanging out! What gives?"

Phantom winced and drew air in through his teeth. "This weekend…"

How could he explain? Most of Saturday had been spent kissing a shy boy with blue eyes and a smoldering temper. Last night had been split between yearning to hold Valerie's hand and floating above the clouds with the stars falling around him, the living half of himself falling asleep in his arms. This morning he had fled an emotion he couldn't face, the day passing him by as he went from one distraction to the next until his girlfriend reminded him of the thing he had been avoiding. Then everything fell apart in a matter of minutes and now he felt himself torn between what he wanted to do and what he needed to do.

"…was a bit hectic," he finished in a small voice.

"Then it will be a very entertaining walk," Sam said, smirking.

Phantom looked over his shoulder at the mouth of the alley. No one appeared to be walking down the street, most already home now that the sun was setting, but he doubted the streets would stay so clear once he stepped into the open. "I can cover more ground if I fly," he said. "I will hunt a while longer. Hurry to Fenton Works, but go through the back door. Ask for F-Danny. Half the explanation will be waiting for you right there.

Sam narrowed her eyes, suspicious. Phantom doubted she would figure it out before she saw Fenton. All the same, he resettled the Fenton Thermos strap on his shoulder and floated a foot higher into the air. A clear signal and one Sam observed with obvious reluctance.

Tucker sighed dramatically. "Ditched again. I'm sensing a pattern."

Phantom drew in a breath, his tail twitching. "I'll explain everything later. Just—"

"—hurry to Fenton Works," his two friends finished for him together, which was honestly insulting.

They waved goodbye and headed out the alley, Tucker once more fiddling with his PDA. Phantom waited a while longer before activating his invisibility and shooting into the sky. With the helicopters no longer anywhere in sight, it was a clear shot to Fenton Works, the neon sign already irresistibly drawing Phantom's attention.

He'd barely made it halfway before a chill raced up his spine, contracted his lungs, and made a blue mist escape through his mouth. He groaned and swore and _almost_ ignored the alert. He wanted to, he desperately wanted to, but Sam's warning, that Skulker would just keep coming back, especially now that Phantom and Fenton had done something to intrigue him, echoed in his mind.

But he needed to finish with Skulker fast. Fenton would panic when their friends arrived on his doorstep, Phantom had little doubt of that. Valerie's secret exposed before him and his parents, followed by Sam and Tucker demanding an explanation? Fenton was going to need all the support he could get, and maybe a paper bag.

Sighing, Phantom floated lower and searched the buildings near Fenton Works. He spotted Skulker beside a billboard overlooking their bedroom, the creep already peering inside with a pair of binoculars. Phantom bared his teeth and clenched his fists, green ecto-energy bursting around his hands.

Without backup and not bothering to plan, Phantom dove for Skulker. The faster he dealt with Skulker, the sooner he could start fixing things.

* * *

Fenton turned the knitted doll of the Red Huntress over in his hands and forced his lips into an awkward curl for his dad's benefit. The tiny beads shifted beneath his fingers as he moved his thumb along the tightly threaded 'visor'. The doll had been made to resemble Valerie in her first suit, the one they had destroyed back when Danny had begun to fall for her. It was bizarre and oddly nostalgic to hold it in his hands. Back then, they had just begun to figure out how their abilities shaped them. Falling for Valerie had felt like the simplest thing in his life.

He glanced over at his mom. She had finished examining Valerie for any serious injuries just a few minutes ago and was currently speaking on the phone with Valerie's dad. Fenton frowned. If he could just get close enough to hear what she was saying…

"And _this_ ," Jack said excitedly. He moved the scrapbook onto Fenton's lap, forcing his son to hold the doll away to the side. There were half a dozen pictures of Valerie fighting Skulker on the page, most of which were shots taken from the ground by eye witnesses. " _This_ was the moment your mother and I knew we had another serious ghost hunter on our side! Look at the way she aims for the joints, where the ghost's armor is weakest."

Fenton tore his eyes away from the blurry image of Danny Phantom in the corner of one picture and frowned down at the picture Jack pointed to. Valerie was dressed in her old jumpsuit and had her knees bent, bazooka braced on her shoulder. It was hard to tell with her mask covering her face, but one of the other pictures showed Skulker's left arm dangling from a few wires.

Fenton rarely bothered with aiming at weak spots. Their ectoblasts were usually strong enough to hurt the ghost regardless of where they aimed. Besides, not every ghost had a weakness that could be exploited.

"Every ghost has gotta weakness, son," Jack explained, and Fenton cringed. "The Guys in White have theorized that a thing called an 'energy conversion chamber' exists in every ecto-based subform, though they haven't offered any proof yet. It's believed to be the ghosts' strongest, most vulnerable organ. Your mother and I have been trying to build a machine that can sense where a ghost's 'ECC' is located. We just need a specimen to try our theories on, and WHAMO, the Fenton Core Aiming Bazooka will be ready for action!"

"Uh..." Fenton said weakly.

"But until that time," Jack continued, lowering his voice, "we gotta be smarter than our prey and the Red Huntress-" he paused a moment and grinned sly "-your _girlfriend_ , knows just where to strike! Did you know she's often the first ghost hunter to arrive on site of an attack? Dedication, Danny! That's what it takes to make a great hunter!"

Fenton forced another weak smile.

"Red doesn't just know where the weak spot on a ghost's armor is either," Jack continued. "You see, Danny, we hunters must out think our prey! Finding their obsession and using it against them is the easiest, but there are other ways..."

To Fenton's relief, Maddie chose that moment to return to their couch, sparing Fenton from hearing what 'other ways' Jack had in mind. She sat on the arm of the couch beside Jack and touched his arm to halt his rambling.

"Sweetie," she said to Fenton, "would you mind making everyone some coffee? Valerie's dad will be here shortly, and I'm sure she would appreciate a cup once she wakes up too."

Fenton winced. He'd tried convincing his parents to leave Damien out of it, but while Jack was all for it, Maddie had put her foot down. "What did he say about Valerie's secret? And, uh, us finding out?"

"He already knew about her hunting, though he didn't sound happy about it," Maddie said, frowning. "I can't imagine why he wouldn't be. She's an amazing fighter!"

"Here, here!" Jack exclaimed. "Oh, oh, Maddie, remember that time she caught that Phantom punk in a net and dragged him around town on her hover board?"

Fenton blushed and stood up hurriedly. "I'll go make that coffee!" he said and dashed into the kitchen. Unfortunately, there was no door so he still heard his parents' laughter. And the jokes they made at Danny Phantom's expense. He placed a hand to his forehead and braced the other on the counter beside the coffee maker. "Don't go starting an argument, Fenton," he told himself. "You're in enough hot water with them already."

At the very least, he was going to get lectured about the dangers of ghosts and getting between them and his parents. But likely on the heels of that lecture would be another one: stay away from Danny Phantom. Don't listen to him. Don't trust him. It wasn't going to be pleasant, and without his other half to balance his emotions, he didn't know if he could resist fighting them on the matter.

Fortunately, the situation with Valerie had Jack and Maddie thoroughly distracted.

"Okay, okay, coffee…" Fenton opened the cupboard above the coffee maker and reached for the first bag of coffee beans he saw only to freeze with his fingers just grazing the bag. Valerie had a preferred coffee flavor...but what was it? He stared at the bags with wide eyes. "Um…"

A knock at the back door intruded on his dilemma, and, with some relief, he closed the cupboard and turned to the door. Only…it was too early for Damien to arrive at Fenton Works. Who could…

Whoever was at the door knocked again.

"Danny?" his mom called from the living room.

"I got it!" he called back, cringing.

Fenton opened the kitchen's back door...and promptly slammed it shut again. His friends yelled his name and one of them-Sam, it had to be Sam-tried to shove the door open. Fenton braced his back against it, but his socks offered too little traction to be of any help, and he slid across the floor.

"No!" he yelled, his feet desperately scrabbling for purchase. "Go away!"

"Danny!" his friends called again, more exasperated, right before they burst inside.

Fenton slumped to the ground behind the door, half-hidden until Tucker pushed the door shut. He tried to smile up at them, but it felt more like a grimace. "H...hi, guys. Uh, what brings you here?"

They looked at each other then back down at him. Sam crossed her arms and said in a deadpan voice, "Uh, you did?"

Fenton nodded his head. Once. "I did."

"Yeah," Tucker agreed. He sounded perplexed. "You said to ask for...you?"

Fenton closed his eyes. Took a deep breath. Then blew it out through his clenched teeth. "I'm going to kill him," he hissed.

"Yourself?" Sam asked, her tone turning dry. "Wouldn't that be suicide?"

"It's debatable."

Jack and Maddie rushed into the kitchen and then froze, the two staring at Fenton's friends with wide, slightly panicked expressions. Telling Valerie's sole remaining parent about her ghost hunting secret was one thing, but Fenton could see his parents drawing the line that would cut Tucker and Sam out of the trust circle.

If they hadn't, like, already known anyway.

"It's a little late to be visiting, kids," Maddie said, forcing an obviously fake smile. "Danny's busy helping us with something and can't play right now."

"Yeah!" Jack agreed. "Plus he's grounded!"

"What?" Fenton exclaimed, scrambling back onto his feet. "Since when?"

"Since you got between us and that ghost punk! Don't think your mother and I forgot about that, mister."

Fenton cringed, wincing one eye shut.

"Ghost punk?" Tucker asked, wary.

"Oh, don't worry, Tucker," Maddie said, "Jack and I scared Phantom off some time ago. You're plenty safe here."

"Danny got between you...and Phantom?" Sam questioned. She and Tucker looked at Fenton. He offered them a shaky smile.

"That's right!" Jack said. "So now he's grounded which means no games, no phone, and no friends coming over on school nights."

Sam and Tucker digested this information a moment longer before Tucker grinned and said brightly, "Oh don't worry, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton. We just came over to ask Danny about a school project we're working on. We tried calling, but if that sneaky Danny Phantom attacked, it's no wonder he didn't pick up!"

"Yup!" Sam said, just as brightly. "We just have a few questions, we won't be long. We can even discuss it in the basement if Danny's computer is still down there."

His parents visibly relaxed at the prospect of Tucker and Sam going to the basement instead of passing through the living room on the way to Danny's bedroom. Fenton didn't feel the same way, and he bit his lip as his friends sent him eerily similar 'you are so going to explain' looks.

"Uh," he said, "yeah, it's, um, down there still."

"Well alright," Maddie said slowly. "We still need your...help, sweetie, so don't take too long. Your dad and I will take care of the coffee."

Fenton sighed, resigned. Tucker and Sam grabbed an arm each and dragged him towards the basement, still grinning brightly at his parents. Fenton opened his mouth to tell his mom the flavor of coffee Valerie preferred, but the words, or more specifically, the knowledge still didn't surface, and he closed it again, frowning.

At the bottom of the stairs, Tucker and Sam released his arms, walked a couple steps forward then turned to face him. Fenton expected them to scold him, demand answers, glare him into submission. He did not expect Sam's smug smile or Tucker's accusing pout.

"You split yourself, didn't you?" Sam said.

Fenton eyed his two friends warily. "You two bet on me?"

"Just say yes, Danny, I got twenty bucks riding on this."

"I call foul!" Tucker objected. "They're still dating."

"The bet was that he couldn't date Valerie _while_ keeping his double life a secret. Since he split himself with the Ghost Catcher, he no longer _has_ a double life. I win by default."

"Wait," Fenton said, "how do you guys know I used the Ghost Catcher?"

"Seriously, Danny?" Sam gestured at the invention. Fenton had left it near the staircase, and it was one of the few inventions still standing after the battle. "It's right over there."

"You couldn't have just told her the truth?" Tucker moaned, pulling his hat down to cover his eyes. "I trusted you. I put faith in your integrity. Ohh the betrayal...What good is a superhero friend if they aren't morally upright enough to win bets?"

"Phantom and I are merging back," Fenton objected. "And we're still dating Valerie. It's just...as soon as Phantom gets back..."

"I'm more interested in _why_ you split yourself in the first place," Sam said, a hint of amusement creeping into her voice. Fenton didn't know why, it certainly didn't feel very amusing to him, but he was too busy flinching to really dissect Sam's feelings.

_Why_ did they ever think splitting up was a good idea? _Why_ did they do it _again_? _Why the hell_ were they still separate? Fenton shoved a hand through his hair and along the back, pulling on the ones at the base of his skull. "It's complicated. Like, really, _really_ complicated, Sam..."

"We got time. And we were promised an explanation."

"Couldn't we at least wait until Phantom gets back?" he asked weakly.

"Okay, we don't have _that_ much time," Sam amended. "Your ghost half said Valerie had been exposed and was unconscious. I'm guessing that's why your parents are so anxious?"

Fenton slumped his shoulders and nodded. "Her dad is on his way, too. Mom called him."

Tucker whistled, wide eyed. "Dude, your girlfriend is going to be _so_ pissed." He considered what he said a moment and then quickly added, "Not at you! Well, probably not at you. I mean, it's not like it's your fault she got knocked out, right?"

Fenton twisted his lips in sheepish smile and shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "Kinda? Um, the stun gun was meant for me. Phantom deflected it at the last minute, and it hit Valerie instead." His friends shared a look, and Fenton slouched further, dropping his head into his hands. "We are in so much trouble, aren't we?"

* * *

As Skulker's robotic arm slammed Phantom into the street, the ghost half of Danny came to the unhappy conclusion that while he had all the powers, he definitely didn't have their skills at fighting. Phantom dug his fingers into Skulker's wrist joints and stared up in the general direction of Skulker's face, unable to see anything beyond his glowing green eyes.

"Perhaps we ought to talk about this," Phantom croaked around the hand squeezing his throat.

"Seems a bit unnecessary at this point," Skulker said. Orange sunlight glistened off his metal teeth as he grinned. "I had thought you would be more of a challenge without your humanity holding you back, though. Perhaps you're simply distracted? I suppose harming your mate to save yourself would weigh heavily on a conscience like yours."

Phantom narrowed his eyes, feeling them flash in anger.

"No matter." Skulker pulled a familiar set of handcuffs from his belt, and Phantom drew in a sharp breath. "There will be plenty of time for you to watch your human self suffer an even worse fate."

Phantom struggled beneath him, and Skulker clamped down harder on his throat, choking off Phantom's retort. He kicked at Skulker's legs, but the armor merely absorbed the blows, and Phantom desperately began willing ice to gather around his hands and freeze the metal beneath them. Skulker snapped the cuff onto Phantom's wrist before he could finish, and the ghost boy's power rebounded into his core.

Skulker grinned in triumph as Phantom cried out. "Now for the human half," he said. "And this time, you won't interfere."

Phantom glared at him, his fingers twitching against the ice coating Skulker's wrist before tightening their hold. He drew his knees up to his chest and then slammed his feet into Skulker's torso as hard as he could. The ghost jerked back and Phantom wrenched the armor's wrist. The chilled metal creaked and then cracked beneath the opposing forces. Wires sparked as the wrist separated from the arm, and Phantom quickly rolled from beneath Skulker and scrambled to put his back against the wall of a building. The empty end of the cuff clinked as it was dragged across the concrete, but Phantom was more concerned with the hand still squeezing his throat. The hand's pressure hadn't lessened even after being disconnected from the main body, and it _hurt_.

Skulker chased after him and reached for Phantom with his remaining hand. Like a cornered wolf, Phantom pressed himself as close to the building as he could and bared his teeth. He might have even growled if the hand hadn't been restricting his wind pipe. He didn't know what he could do to stop Skulker with his powers disabled. He didn't know how to fight as a human.

"Get away from him!"

A green beam collided with Skulker's helmet and sent it crashing into a car parked beside the sidewalk. The rest of the body crumbled in front of Phantom, and he stared at it in disbelief before following the trajectory of the shot back to its origin. Jazz stood with a Fenton Wrist Ray primed and aimed at Skulker, a group of humans quickly scattering away from her now that she'd joined the fight. Phantom gaped at her a while, his limbs shaking as tension began to bleed from his muscles. One of the humans stepped forward, and Phantom snapped into motion.

He shifted to his knees and began searching Skulker's armor for the key. Great as it was for Skulker to be defeated, with his threat neutralized and Phantom's powers sealed, Phantom was now more at risk from the humans who had gathered to watch the fight than anything else. Once they realized the fight was over, they'd begin closing in on him, and Phantom knew from the last time a united Danny Phantom had been without his powers how unpleasant that would be.

Jazz was the first to reach him, the Fenton Thermos he had dropped some time during the fight in one hand, Skulker's helmet held in the other. Phantom paused his search to look inside it for the real Skulker.

"I already sucked him up," Jazz said, triumphant glee clear in her voice. She would probably be insufferably proud of herself for days to come, but for once, Phantom didn't begrudge his older sister's interference.

"Tha-" he couldn't force the rest of the word past the hand squeezing his throat, so he settled for giving Jazz a wide grin. She flushed with pride.

He finally found the key in a compartment near the waist. He unlocked the cuff and allowed it to fall onto the armor. Without the barricade, his power surged from his core into his veins, and Phantom closed his eyes to savor the feeling. He grabbed the hand clasped around his throat, turned it intangible, and then threw it onto the pile so hard a chest plate cracked. Sucking in air right afterwards proved a bad idea, and he placed his hand over his aching throat as he started coughing.

Jazz watched him out of the corner of her eye as she sucked Skulker's suit into the Thermos. "You might want to wrap a cold towel around your throat until your healing powers kick in."

Phantom nodded, rubbing his throat. Two arms suddenly wrapped his shoulders and a woman's body pressed against his back. Phantom felt his face tingle as ectoplasm rushed to his face in a parody of a blush. "Uh..."

"Oh, Phantom!" Paulina cooed in his ear, and the blush on Phantom's face darkened. Or rather, brightened, ectoplasm being the luminous liquid that it was. "I'm so glad you're okay~"

"Thanks," he croaked, lips quirked in a wry smile. "I am too."

A bright flash drew his attention to Starr. She took another picture with her phone, and past her were more people gathering for a shot. And coming closer.

Jazz sucked up the last of Skulker's armor and raised an eyebrow at Phantom. His smile turned sheepish, and he turned invisible and his body intangible to slip out of Paulina's grasp. She made a distressed noise, but he ignored it and floated behind Jazz, grabbing her arms and spreading his invisibility to her. Fortunately the crowd was too busy trying to find him to notice Jazz's disappearance.

"Time to go," he whispered hoarsely. He floated them into the air above the crowd, and Jazz squeaked in surprise. He flew them towards Fenton Works at a pace slower than he preferred but was still probably faster than Jazz liked.

"What's the hurry?" she called over the wind. "I could have walked home."

Phantom shook his head. His throat still hurt, and while he could speak a little now, he didn't want to try speaking over the wind. Hopefully his voice would be recovered enough when he reached Fenton Works to help Fenton explain

"You know," Jazz said after a moment, "you really shouldn't encourage her." Phantom frowned down at her, and she explained, "Paulina. Just tell her you have a girlfriend and she'll back off."

"Unlikely," Phantom murmured. He flew through a billboard instead of going over it, startling a gasp from his sister. He would have loved to explain to Jazz that Paulina had a shrine to him in her locker, that she was the chairman of his very own 'Phan Club' and that she would more likely destroy his relationship with the mystery woman than forget about him. But his throat hurt. And anyway, it was _Paulina_. Hottest girl in school and the subject of many daydreams growing up. The attention was flattering.

Fenton Works came into view soon after, and Phantom quickly flew into his and Fenton's room, but when he didn't see his friends or other half, he sank through the floor and into the kitchen. He set Jazz down on the floor and motioned for her to be quiet and wait there a moment. She opened her mouth to protest, but he flew into the living room before she could say anything.

Invisible as he was, his parents didn't see him fly to Valerie's side, nor did they see him quickly place his hand over her watch and send a spark of ecto-energy into the fragile gadget before it could beep a warning. Only when that was done did he kneel on the floor beside the couch. He reached out and brushed his fingers across her forehead, smoothing away the hair that had collected there.

She appeared to be only sleeping. There was no pained crease between her brows, no tightness to her muscles. The few times Phantom and Fenton had been hit with a stun gun they'd been knocked unconscious for no more than five, ten minutes. They would wake up disoriented, their muscles tense and twitching, but that faded within the next few minutes.

Twenty minutes had passed since Valerie had been hit.

Hopefully it was only Phantom's powers that allowed him and Fenton to recover faster than Valerie. But if it was within his powers to heal wounds, could he consciously concentrate that energy and use it on someone else? He had subconsciously kept Fenton's hickey from healing, even when their minds were joined, surely that meant he could control it.

Fenton...

Phantom glanced over his shoulder and saw Jazz poking her head around the doorway, her brows pinched in confusion. Phantom rolled his eyes and looked at his parents. They sat together on the other couch, heads pressed together as they giggled and laughed at the pictures in Jack's scrapbook. Fenton didn't appear to be with them or Valerie, and if he wasn't in his room or the kitchen, that only left the basement. Likely with Tucker and Sam. Which meant he needed Phantom.

Phantom looked at Valerie one last time before he reluctantly stood and floated into the kitchen. As soon as he regained visibility, Jazz pressed a glass of ice water into his hand and whispered, "Did something happen to Valerie?"

Phantom took a drink. It was a little hard to swallow, but the cool water felt nice. "Skulker shocked her into unconsciousness," he answered as quietly as he could, "Mom and Dad saw."

Jazz paled. "They know she's..."

Phantom nodded. Jazz pursed her lips in thought, placing a finger on her chin.

His sister distracted, Phantom wandered over to the staircase leading into the basement. Tucker's voice echoed up from below, followed soon after by Sam. They spoke too softly for Phantom to hear the actual words, but their tone sounded amused, the conversation light-hearted. Perhaps he could stay with Valerie after all. The moment he went down there, he would have to remerge with Fenton, light-hearted conversation or not, and he would have no excuse to delay it.

"Well," Jazz finally said, "it could be worse."

Fenton's echoed voice sounded almost exactly like Phantom's, only the cadence was wrong. The rhythm of his voice rose and fell and paused in patterns Phantom's didn't follow. Whatever their origins, they weren't the same person, not to Phantom, not anymore. A shiver raced up Phantom spine, his stomach turning. He braced a hand against the wall and shook his head. Fenton spoke again, and unlike Sam and Tucker, he sounded stressed.

Phantom took as deep a breath as his throat would allow and set the glass of water on the counter. He looked back at Jazz. "It _is_ worse."

* * *

Three friends stood around an oversized, glowing dream catcher, silent, aside from the nervous tapping of Fenton's heel. He stared at his feet as he chewed on his bottom lip, his arms crossed over his chest. He felt Sam and Tucker's eyes on him, knew their patience was waning, but how could he explain everything without giving away… _everything_?

The silence continued a few seconds longer before Tucker groaned loudly. "I miss the fun Danny," he said. "Dude, just, start at the beginning. Why did you split yourself?"

Fenton violently winced. "Uh..it, uh, we, uh…."

"Probably something to do with Val-er-ie?"

Fenton felt his cheeks warm at Tucker's knowing grin. His arms pressed tighter against his chest and he stared fixedly at his socks, jaw clenched.

"That looks like a yes," Sam said, amused.

Tucker hardly needed the encouragement. His grin grew wider and he leaned towards Fenton. "Betcha needed to impress her after that last big failure, huh, dude?"

Fenton's face got even redder. His hand itched towards his neck before he jerked it back down. "Maybe..."

"Protecting the city would certainly make that difficult," Sam said. "Which is why you split right? Because you couldn't handle dating Valerie and being a secret hero?"

"Hey!" Tucker objected. "That's cheating!"

Fenton frowned. Then his eyes opened wide and he jerked upright, arms falling away from his chest. "Yes!"

Sam and Tucker shared a matching look of raised eyebrows. "Is it just my bleak outlook on life, Folely, or does that enthusiasm look suspicious to you?"

"Oh, totally."

Fenton almost backed down, but he had the bit in his teeth now, a half-true lie to keep his more scandalous secret hidden. "Spectra and Bertrand attacked right before our date with Valerie last night," he said in a rush. "Phantom felt-" He frowned. "... _We_ felt it'd be a bad idea to cancel our date, so we split. Phantom fought the ghosts and I went on the date."

"Uh-huh..." Sam said slowly. "Your date last night. On Saturday."

"Right."

"Danny...it's Sunday evening."

Fenton's eyebrows drew together. He stared down at his feet. "Yeah..." Sam and Tucker looked at each other again, and Fenton resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "We were supposed to merge back this morning, Phantom just never showed up."

"Busy flirting with disaster," Sam said, and Tucker snickered.

"Yeah," Fenton grumbled, still annoyed.

"So ghost Danny is out fighting Skulker and you're babysitting Valerie?"

Fenton's lips twitched at one side. "More like babysitting you guys now."

"Oh he jokes!" Tucker exclaimed, grinning.

"When I'm not being interrogated," he muttered dryly.

"Speaking of which, why _aren_ _'t_ you the fun Danny?" Sam asked. She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head to the side. "And why wasn't your other half disgustingly heroic? He didn't even seem that interested in fighting Skulker."

Of all the questions, that was the easiest to answer, even if it was the hardest to explain. "Yeah..." Fenton said slowly, "we thought it might be based on the mindset we have when whole Danny goes through the Ghost Catcher. When we split for the date, we tried getting Phantom to be a fighter and me to, well, be romantic." He shrugged and looked down as he slid his sock against the metal floor. "Didn't really work out so well."

"I'd say," Tucker said. "You're not very, um..." Fenton glanced at him from beneath his bangs, and Tucker trailed off.

"That's because I received all our charm."

Fenton sucked in a sharp breath and spun around. His white hair was disarrayed and there was a faded, hand-shaped bruise around his neck, but when Phantom's eyes locked with Fenton's, his lips twitched into a small smile. Frustrated as he was with his other half, Fenton felt his own lips twitching in return. Mostly out of relief.

Phantom descended the stairs, allowing Jazz to enter after him. Their sister had a hand clasped to her mouth, the other pointing back and forth between Phantom and Fenton. "Two? Two of them? There are _two_ of them?"

"You likely became the fighter," Phantom continued. His smile twisted, becoming wry. "Which would explain why you keep trying to pick fights with me."

Fenton ducked his head, flushing, embarrassed both by the words and the tone. Underneath the teasing, Phantom sounded almost fond of him, and it made Fenton want to hide his face in the nearest inanimate object.

Sam frowned at the two of them. "Okay…so, ghost Danny is the lover and human Danny is the fighter? Because one of you had to protect the city so the other could go on a date with Valerie?"

"Basically," Fenton muttered.

"Talk about irony," Tucker joked.

Phantom came to a stop beside Fenton, and the human Danny carefully avoided looking at him. The slightly chilled aura still surrounded Phantom, and Fenton's skin prickled, a shiver racing up his spin.

"There are two Dannys!" Jazz squeaked.

"For now." Sam raised an eyebrow. "Or are you two planning to stay separated another day?"

Fenton shifted. He heard Phantom do the same beside him and felt Phantom's eyes on him. He turned his head away.

"We," Phantom said slowly, reluctantly, "were supposed to merge this morning. I don't wish to, but I suppose we must, given the situation with Valerie…"

Fenton snorted, clenching his jaw. Figures he would do it for Valerie.

"It would be a good time to tell her your secret too," Tucker cut in, smiling widely. "Wipe the slate clean of all secrets."

"Hey!" Sam protested. "Who's cheating now?"

"We can certainly keep an eye out for an opportunity," Phantom said, "but given Valerie's actions towards me, I doubt she'd take it well."

Tucker pouted as Sam grinned at him. He turned away and rapped his knuckles against the ghost Catcher's pole. "Okay, so how are we going to do this? You guys gonna fly through the net or should we lower it over you? Like that one time that made everything worse?"

"Seriously, guys," Jazz said, a little louder than necessary, "I'm going to need an explanation here!"

"Actually," Fenton said, straightening his shoulders, "could you two explain it to her?" He grabbed Phantom's arm and began pulling his unresisting ghost half towards the far side of the room. "We need to talk. Privately."

"Uh, sure?" Tucker said, but Fenton didn't wait to hear more than that.

As soon as he reached the portal, Fenton turned to Phantom, took a deep breath, and burst out in a whisper. "You kissed me."

Whatever Phantom had expected him to say, that wasn't it. His bemused smile slipped and he gaped, for once speechless.

"This morning," Fenton continued, "right before Dad burst into my room. I thought I was dreaming, but my lips were cold. And Dad had been following a ghost detector so there had to be a ghost, and you're the only one that would kiss me." When Phantom didn't respond, Fenton added, a little anxiously, "I'm not making this up!"

"You were dreaming about me?" Phantom finally said, a little dazed.

"That—no, dude, focus! Did you or did you not kiss me this morning?" Phantom hesitated, and Fenton pointed out, "I'll know either way once we merge, I just…" He ran a hand through his hair, struggling to find words to explain himself. "I'd wanted to ask you before then. It'll be different when we're, you know, one person. Everything gets muddled."

Phantom nodded slowly, staring at Fenton in a way that made his face flush. "It makes a difference," Phantom agreed softly.

Fenton managed to maintain eye contact for a few seconds before he dropped his gaze to his socks. "So did you?"

Phantom didn't answer immediately, and when Fenton looked at him again, Phantom's face glowed a faint green and he was the one who wouldn't meet his eyes. "Does it matter? We practiced on each other a lot this weekend."

"We weren't practicing this morning," Fenton said. "And I was asleep."

"And apparently dreaming about me…"

Fenton blushed spluttering. "I-I can't control that and you know it!" He ground his teeth together and tried willing his face to cool. "Look, I'll find out either way, so you might as well just tell me."

Phantom crossed his arms over his chest, one eyebrow raised. "You refused to merge when Valerie chased me, and now you're delaying it again to get this answer. Why? Why does it matter so much to you? "

Fenton glared at him, but didn't respond.

"I'll find out either way," Phantom said, mockingly, "so you may as well—"

"Because you ditched me right afterwards!"

The words were louder than Fenton intended, and he tensed before glancing at the other three in the room. They were staring at him, but they quickly looked away.

He turned back to Phantom, not meeting his eyes but staring at the DP symbol on his chest instead. He didn't want to explain himself, hated that he had to, the words holed up in his chest like thorns, it hurt to force them out. He whispered, "You flew off and avoided me all day until Valerie chased you back here and you needed a place to hide. It was like I..." Phantom stared at the floor. "It…I was just…"

"I hurt you," Phantom said for him, not looking up.

Fenton shrugged, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. "A little. Maybe. I didn't know if you were avoiding me because you had kissed me or because…well, I did punch you that one time. And I pretty much ruined the date with Valerie. And I have been trying to 'pick fights' with you the whole time, and probably a lot of other things so…" Phantom's green eyes were back on his face, and damn did they make things like breathing and talking difficult. "So yeah. Did you kiss me?"

Phantom stared at him a while, green eyes flickering over Fenton's face as the ghost fought his own internal battle. Finally, he whispered, "Yes…"

Fenton let out a sharp, shaky breath. "N-not because you were practicing or thinking about Valerie? You just…wanted to kiss me?"

The pause was longer this time, but Phantom eventually admitted, "Yes."

" _Why_?"

"I…wanted to." Fenton frowned, and Phantom lifted his shoulders in a shrug, sighing. "It truly is as simple as that, Fenton. There was no ulterior motive. I came to wake you, saw you lying there, I wanted to kiss you, and since I realized I would never get another chance, I did."

"But we're the _same person_ ," Fenton pressed, voice cracking.

"That hasn't exactly stopped us before."

"Practicing for your girlfriend isn't the same as kissing someone because you _want_ to kiss them."

Phantom threaded both hands through his white hair and groaned, the sound coming out more gravelly than usual due to his damaged throat. "I know, Fenton! I know there is a difference, I _felt_ the difference. That's exactly why I ran away." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, appearing to brace himself. "I think I'm starting to like you. The way we like Valerie." Fenton stiffened, and the ghost crossed his arms over his chest, not looking at him. "And as soon as we reunite as one person, you'll be gone. I'll be gone. We'll both cease to exist and it will be like none of this ever happened."

Fenton swallowed, his heart pounding. "That's probably for the best." As cold as Phantom was physically, fire burned in his glowing eyes as he glared into Fenton's. Defiant. Fenton gripped his shirt and met that gaze as best he could, though it made his palms sweat and his heart race faster. "We have to end this," he said, voice unsteady. "You can't develop feelings for m…me, Phantom, you just can't, we're—we're the _same person_!"

Phantom snorted. "I'm aware, Fenton."

"And we're dating Valerie! You're like…crazy about her."

"Yes," Phantom said, forcefully enough Fenton snapped his mouth shut. "I know, Fenton. I already agreed we must merge for her sake. What happened with Skulker already convinced me of that. I'm just…" He stepped closer to Fenton, ignoring the way the human tensed. He raised his hand, hesitated as his fingers brushed Fenton's face, and then rested his hand on his shoulder. His thumb grazed against Fenton's skin where his shirt failed to cover his collarbone. "I'm going to miss you."

Fenton stared back at his other half, wide eyed, unsure how to respond.

"Danny!" his mom called from upstairs, and Phantom flickered out of sight. "Damien Gray is here! He wants to talk to you about Valerie. You'll have to finish the project later."

"Uh." Fenton blinked half a dozen times as he struggled to reorder his thoughts. Phantom squeezed his shoulder briefly before his touch disappeared. "O-okay, Mom!" he shouted. "I'll be right up!"

When she didn't respond, Fenton turned back to his friends and the Ghost Catcher. Jazz stood off to the side, looking a bit dazed, her brows knit in concern, but Tucker and Sam were already in motion, picking up the Ghost Catcher between them. Phantom appeared in front of them, his arms crossed over his chest.

He looked over his shoulder at Fenton as the human half crossed the lab. His green eyes followed his every move, darting from his face to his feet to the way his shoulders moved as he walked, and Fenton realized Phantom was trying to memorize everything about him. Because Phantom thought he would never see him again. And he would miss him.

Fenton scrunched his eyebrows together. They were about to become one person again. Literally. Could you miss someone when you were…him? He knew feeling Phantom's thoughts wouldn't be the same as talking to him but—

_They won_ _'t be Phantom's thoughts._ Fenton blinked rapidly, his breathing becoming strained as an invisible band tightened around his chest.

Sam and Tucker raised the net, and Fenton felt like he ought to say something. Only no words came to mind. Instead, he stopped beside Phantom. Hesitantly, he allowed his arm to brush against Phantom's. Beneath the cold aura, Fenton felt Phantom's arm flex, and then a cold hand grabbed onto his. He didn't fully understand Phantom's feelings, but Fenton held his other half's hand and squeezed Phantom's hand as tightly as the ghost squeezed his.

"Ready, guys?" Tucker asked, and at their hesitant nod, he and Sam lowered the net. Fenton's vision filled with a familiar bright light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already have the next chapter written (unedited) and I plan to post it two weeks from now, but it will mostly depend on how far along I am on chapter eleven. I want to avoid anymore major breaks between updates. I'm working overtime the next four weeks, and overtime makes writing especially difficult because it sucks all the energy and all the creativity out of me. But I'll try.


	10. Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fenton and Phantom get confused and Valerie wakes to find she's no longer as in control as she thought. Danny can totally sympathize.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once upon a time, I thought this chapter and last chapter would be a single chapter...ha...  
> Ps, overtime kills.

* * *

_"In love, the paradox occurs that two beings become one and yet remain two."_ ~ Erich Fromm

* * *

It took longer than usual.

Instead of going through the net as two and coming out the other side as one, Fenton and Phantom were enveloped by a white light similar to the rings that heralded Danny's transformations. Their forms started to merge along their sides, beginning at their joined hands. Then the pain hit.

They both cried out, a dual shout that became a single wordless cry as their bodies fused into one being.

Before the light had finished fading, they wrapped their arms around their middle and sank to their knees. Fenton's sore, probably bruised knees. They trembled, panting for breath and trying to will Fenton's heart to stop racing. Fenton's right hand, the one Phantom had been holding, throbbed from how tightly they had squeezed each other in the end, and they had no doubt that if they shifted to Phantom's form, the opposing hand would feel just as tender.

If separation felt like their molecules were being ripped apart, this reunion had felt like they were being stitched back together, needle, thread, and a sever lack of any kind of numbing agent. Phantom, personally, felt it wasn't worth it.

"Danny!" their friends shouted in alarm.

Fenton and Phantom forced their eyes open, but their vision blurred and they grew light headed. The world shifted, and they tipped onto their side and laid on the floor, the concrete cool on their raw skin. They twisted their head and pressed their forehead against the floor as well. Unfortunately, it had no effect on their growing headache.

Two thumps beside their head, and then Sam's hand, smaller but stronger than Tucker's, grabbed their shoulder. They sucked air in through their teeth and waved in their friends' general direction, the heaviness of their arm making the movement jerky. Even with their eyes closed, it felt like the floor beneath them moved like they were in a boat, pitching from unseen waves.

"Fine, we're fine," they said. "Just need a minute." They pressed a hand to their temple and curled their right hand, the one that still ached, against their chest. "Everything is _spinning_."

From high above them, they heard Jazz say, voice tight, "Is this normal? Did it happen like this last time?"

A pause in which Fenton and Phantom realized the throbbing in their head coincided with the beating of Fenton's heart, and then Tucker said, "He jumped right into fighting Technus last time. It was like he'd never been separated in the first place."

That had been a year ago. They had been younger then, innocent. They never kissed—they hadn't even _liked_ each other.

_Of course not, you were a complete slob._

_I wasn't the one fighting ghosts with our_ bedsheet _for a_ cape _._

_Jealous?_

Their lips twisted into a smile before their head gave a particularly painful throb and they groaned in pain.

"How long was he separated the first time?" Jazz asked.

"About a day," Sam said. "Maybe two."

"And this time?"

Another pause.

Tucker said, a bit dubiously, "He said he split himself right before his date with Valerie."

"You don't believe him?"

"If you haven't noticed, Jazz," Sam said, tone dry, "Danny doesn't lie well, and I'd say his human half was even worse at it."

Except Phantom had successfully lied circles around the news reporters, so at least one half of Danny could lie, and while Fenton might have struggled, he had admirably tried to keep their deeper secret hidden. They rolled onto their back and slit their eyes open enough to glare at the three of them. As one, Danny said, "We're in pain, guys, not deaf."

Sam, who happened to be the closest one to their head and so the easiest to focus on, raised an eyebrow. "'We'?"

Of course 'we,' they were-

They blinked at her and curled their right hand into a fist.

No…

They weren't Fenton or Phantom now, they were Danny.

 _He_ was Danny.

He was whole again, and Fenton and Phantom were only aspects of his personality that no longer existed.

And yet…his human heart felt strange, the regular beating a sensation that felt at once alien and familiar. His skin was too warm, his knees too sore, his body too heavy. Was this normal? Had it always been this way when they were one? Like every sensation received different reactions? How could he be just Danny when he felt so unlike himself?

Jazz knelt beside Sam and reached past her to touch their— _his_ forehead. "Are you having an identity crisis? It can't be easy for two minds to fuse after…however many days it's been. Do you feel mentally numb? Are you anxious? Disoriented?

Danny winced one eye shut as he squinted up at her. "It's _fine_ , Jazz, we've done this before. Stop worrying."

"There's that 'we' again," Sam muttered.

"You're not exactly making that easy, dude," Tucker said. "Can you even stand? They're expecting you upstairs."

Upstairs. _Valerie_. Upstairs and exposed because Phantom—because _he_ had protected Fent— _himself_ from Skulker's attack.

"Y-yeah." Danny brushed Jazz's hand away and rolled onto his front again, placing his hands flat on the floor. He took a deep breath and whispered to himself, "Okay, we— _I_ can do this." He slowly pushed himself onto his hands and knees, his muscles twinging oddly—too heavy/normal—but stopped there and stared at the ground as the floor heaved beneath him. Danny licked his lips. "Help?"

As if they had been waiting for just that cue, Sam and Tucker surged forward and grabbed an arm each. His skin still felt a little too raw, but Danny ignored it and gratefully used their strength to pull himself onto his feet. Even once upright, his friends stayed by his side, holding onto his arms as Danny's leg muscles spasmed.

Jazz hovered off to the side, her concern practically tangible. "You can barely stand, Danny!"

"It's really not a big deal," Danny said as he stared at the floor. The swaying floor he stood on because he couldn't fly. Because he was in human form and humans _don_ _'t fly_ no matter how much a part of him felt like he could. "Something like this happened last time too."

"When you fought Technus?" Tucker asked.

Danny blinked. Technus? They hadn't fought Technus, they had just practiced…oh. "… _Yes,_ " he said, emphasizing the word in the hopes his friends would believe him.

He couldn't see Tucker's and Sam's expressions, but Jazz's eyebrows pinched together. Great. He shook his head, and their headache twinged. _His_ headache. Damn it.

Danny breathed in shakily and glanced at the staircase. He was barely holding himself together. If his parents and Valerie noticed him behaving oddly, if he started referring to himself as two instead of one, if he lost track of who he was during the conversation…

Without consciously thinking about it, his gaze drifted to the Ghost Catcher. Perhaps merging back right now had been a bad idea. His head hurt so much he could barely think, and he _needed_ to think. Not just because Valerie needed him at his best with his parents now in on her secret, but also because of Fenton and Phantom.

They had been feeling things, things that Danny now felt, and he needed to understand exactly what those feelings were. There were so many emotions and memories cramming his head, only he didn't have _time_ to sort himself out.

If they could just separate again, just long enough for Fenton or Phantom to fix things with Valerie—

Danny shook his head again, more violently this time, and stumbled out of Tucker's and Sam's hold, meandering towards the center of the lab. "We just have to walk it off…it'll be fine, _I_ _'ll_ be fine."

Behind him, Tucker whispered, "Is he talking to one of us?"

"Probably?" Jazz whispered back.

Footsteps trotted after him, and just as he stumbled, Sam caught his arm, holding him up until Danny regained his balance. "Maybe you _should_ split yourself again," she said, though the tone of her voice made it clear how much she disliked the idea. "You're obviously in no shape to be facing three ghost hunters."

_Sam agrees._

Danny's face pinched into a grimace. "Please don't say that, Sam. It's hard enough keeping myself together as it is."

If he even was himself.

He clenched his fists, and the pain in his right hand flared. Wincing, Danny lifted it up to chest-level, spreading his fingers out as he stared down at it. The soreness was still there, but it was fading. They had held hands before and during the merge, Fenton and Phantom. It felt significant somehow. Like…like…

His vision blurred again as tears pooled in his eyes. Danny turned his head away from Sam before she saw and blinked rapidly, trying to will the tears away. He couldn't do this now.

Danny shoved the emotions aside and tried to focus on the moment before his two halves had merged. He remembered Fenton's confusion and Phantom's fear and the way they drew courage from each other, but he couldn't pinpoint the moment their minds melded. If they _had_ melded.

Before, Fenton and Phantom had always been Danny's mind split in two, he was the original and they were the offshoots. But now it almost felt like they were the starting point and he was the by-product.

So was he Danny or were they two people stuck in a single body?

A pang of longing pierced his chest, and Danny nearly gasped, his right hand closing into a tight fist.

Someone clapped their hands together, and Danny looked over his shoulder, eager for a distraction.

"We need a distraction!" Jazz said, standing up straight and wearing her 'determined' expression. "Before Mom and Dad come down here to see what's taking Danny so long."

Tucker, still standing beside her, eyed Danny's sister warily. "You have something in mind?"

"Well…" Jazz deflated a little. "Not yet. But I'll think of something!"

"Well, let me know how that works out."

Danny sighed and pulled away from Sam, once again trying to walk on his own. He heard Sam following not far behind in case he fell again, which was a real possibility. The problem was that Phantom's muscle memory insisted he could fly and that their legs weren't supposed to be this heavy. Fenton knew better, and the two perceptions clashed each time Danny lifted his leg.

Much as he wanted to—much as it would help—he couldn't split himself again. They were—he was falling in love with himself!

Well okay not love, just…like. Phantom at least was starting to… _like_ Fenton. Romantically. And Fenton—

Danny felt himself shy away from those feelings, his face warming and a shiver running down his spine.

Okay, fine, Fenton was feeling whatever (don't think about it, it doesn't matter anymore), but Phantom was definitely infatuated which meant Danny was infatuated with…himself.

So no, he couldn't split himself again no matter how much he wanted to, but he still needed time to adjust, time to remember _who he was_ , time he didn't have because Valerie needed him upstairs. It was his fault her secret had been exposed to his parents. His fault for running away from his feelings instead of merging in the morning or even the night before. He should never have gone to watch the meteor shower with his other half. Now Valerie was unconscious and he had started developing feelings for himself and it was all just stupid. So stupid. What was the matter with him?

"I could always go upstairs and act surprised to see Valerie there," Jazz continued thoughtfully. "Everyone will be so busy trying to keep me from finding out what's really going on that they'll forget about Danny!"

A beat passed in which Tucker didn't respond.

"What?" Jazz demanded.

"You're as bad at acting as Danny is at lying."

"Hey!" she protested. "I've been protecting Danny's secret from Mom and Dad almost as long as you three have. I think I can buy us five minutes at least."

If he had never suggested they watch the stars, if he'd never witnessed his other half fall asleep in his arms, if he'd never taken so much pleasure in kissing Fenton then he wouldn't have developed feelings for someone who wasn't even supposed to exist, they would already have merged before Skulker ever attacked them, Valerie never would have gotten exposed, and losing himself and Fenton wouldn't _hurt_ so damn much.

A bright flash of light interrupted Jazz's and Tucker's conversation and brought their attention back to Danny and Sam. The rings of light that heralded his transformation vanished above Danny's head and left Danny Phantom standing wide-eyed in the Fenton Works lab. Danny's green eyes darted to Sam's face and then to Tucker's and Jazz's before settling on his gloved hands. The fingers of his left hand twitched.

"I…" he said shakily, "I didn't mean to do that?"

Tucker turned back to Jazz, his eyes only slightly less wide than Danny's. "Better make that fifteen minutes."

* * *

Voices woke Valerie. A loud voice in particular made her head throb, a man's voice that practically bellowed his words. She recognized it, but the name slipped from her grasp and fear about who stood over her and her unknown location made her mentally reach for the ghostly energy always lurking just beneath the surface of her mind. She was about to summon a laser-shooting glove to her hand when another voice spoke. This one soft. Tired.

Her father.

"Valerie is only sixteen," he was saying, "she should be focusing on her schoolwork so she will be accepted into a decent college. Universities don't offer scholarships for ghost hunting vigilantes. She's risking her life and coming home with serious injuries for no reason."

"Hey now!" the loud voice protested. "The only thing standing between human society and the ghost menace attacking our city are people like us and the Red Huntress. She's not risking her life for no reason, she's risking it to protect others. She's a hero!"

"A hero who is only sixteen!" Damien countered.

Another voice, soft like Damien's but firmer, said, "I admit she is a bit young, but when ghosts attack the school on a regular basis, it's only natural our kids should find a way to defend themselves and their friends. I'm only surprised more kids Danny's age haven't begun to do the same."

Danny...

Danny _Fenton_.

Maddie and Jack _Fenton_ were the ones talking to her dad. They were talking about _her fighting ghosts_.

Valerie's eyes shot open. The first person she saw was Jack Fenton towering over her, his bottom lip sticking out in an unhappy pout. He stood by her feet, and although he was facing her direction, his frown wasn't directed at her. Valerie turned her head to follow his gaze and came face-to-face with her father. Or rather the side of her father's head. He knelt beside her, but at the moment he was glaring up at Jack like Danny's father had personally offended him.

Valerie sucked in a sharp breath. The noise grabbed Damien's attention, and he snapped his head back around to face her. The glare instantly vanished from his eyes, and in its place came deep affection. It softened the corners of his eyes and lifted the years gray hair and barely-there wrinkles awarded him. Only his eyebrows remained pinched together, his lips thinned by concern.

"Dad," she croaked around the dryness in her throat, "I can explain."

His expression didn't change, accustomed to that response as he was. "Forget about that for now, Valerie," he said. He cupped her chin and swiped his thumb across her lower cheek. "How are you feeling?"

Valerie pursed her lips. She took stock of her status first by wiggling her fingers and toes and considering the areas of greatest pain. "My head and chest hurt," she said after a couple seconds. "And my muscles feel funny."

"That's to be expected. You received a large enough shock to render you unconscious. Do you remember the attack?"

Valerie frowned. Her eyes roved over her surroundings, taking in the ecto-burns on the walls and the broken furniture. She had chased Phantom here, to Fenton Works, believing him to be a threat to Danny. She remembered the spike of fear she'd felt upon seeing Phantom's arms around Danny, the confusion at her boyfriend defending the ghost's actions, and then the whirlwind of emotions and activity because Skulker, the ghost who only hunted dangerous and unique prey, attacked Danny.

She had formed a truce with Phantom to protect Danny Fenton from Skulker. She hadn't agreed to capture Skulker or to keep Phantom safe after the battle was over, but she remembered Danny insisting that he would go into the Ghost Zone by himself if no one would help him save Phantom. The resolve in his eyes, the way his lips had thinned when she had initially refused to save Phantom...

The grin after she'd agreed to save her enemy, and then Phantom's voice...

_"Fenton! Move!"_

"No," she said slowly. "I remember agreeing to go into the Ghost Zone with Danny, but after that..."

"Into the Ghost- _what_?" her dad exclaimed, outraged.

"I couldn't just let him go by himself, Dad!" she yelled back as she pushed herself onto her elbows. "I've been in there before, I could have kept him safe!"

"Why would he even want to go into a place called a _ghost zone_?"

"He-" Valerie bit down on her lip. It irritated her, she didn't want to say it, but it had been admirable in its own way. He might have wanted to go into the Ghost Zone for the wrong reason, but that he was willing to do it at all showed just how courageous Danny really was. He was just a normal person, after all. "He wanted to save a ghost from another ghost."

Damien's eyebrows drew together. "To save a ghost from another ghost...?"

Apparently that was the limit of Jack Fenton's patience. "Yeah, he wanted to save that no good ghost punk, Danny Phantom!"

The eyebrows that had pinched towards the center of Damien's forehead a second ago instantly shot up towards his hairline. "The ghost that cost me my job? The one you hate?"

"I don't hate him," she said, almost under her breath. "I just don't trust him."

"He's the town menace!"

"Actually, he's more along the lines of a town _hero_."

The adults twisted to face the kitchen entryway. Valerie had to push herself fully upright to do the same. Her stomach muscles protested, but she ignored them and swung her legs off the couch. Jazz stood in the door way, one hand on her hip while the other held a library book against her chest.

She smiled brightly at all of them, the cheer in her expression at odds with the forceful tone she had used. "Hi, Mom, hi, Dad! Am I interrupting something?"

"Jazz!" Maddie said loudly, the smile on her face just as oddly bright as Jazz's. "Sweetie! What are you doing home so early?"

Jazz's eyebrow rose fractionally, and her gaze flickered to the windows. The dark windows. "The library closed, mom. Like, an hour ago. I actually would have been home sooner, but there was a ghost fight a few blocks down. Between Danny Phantom and some ghost that wanted to skin him."

Valerie grimaced. She didn't want to think about Skulker's motives. Not when they were about Phantom, and definitely not when they were about Danny.

"Who won?" she asked, voice tight.

Jazz's gaze shifted to Valerie. She didn't answer at first, and the younger girl suddenly felt like her actions, expression, the very tone of her voice were under examination. She shifted uneasily. Finally, Jazz said, "Phantom did. But only because I shot the other ghost with the wrist ray Mom gave me."

"You shot a ghost?" Jack exclaimed. He ran to Jazz's side and picked her up a hug that was so tight it made her voice squeak out in protest. "That's my princess! We'll be a family of hunters after all!"

Damien dropped his head into one of his hands.

Valerie looked up at Maddie who stood beside the arm of the couch she leaned against. Danny's mother had her hands clasped beneath her chin, her mouth and eyes beaming with delight. Danny often complained about how obsessed with ghosts his parents were, but he'd never said how much they wanted their kids to join them. Finding out their son was dating a bonafide ghost hunter must have-

Valerie sucked in a sharp breath through her nose and reached for Damien's hand, the one that had held her chin moments ago. Her tight grip must have alerted him that something was wrong, because he looked up and met her wide eyes with a concerned gaze.

"They know?" she barely whispered, mouthing the words more than speaking them. "About...me?"

Her dad nodded slowly, the alarm fading from his expression though the concern remained.

"And Danny?"

At this, Damien hesitated. "I don't know. I haven't seen him."

Valerie sat up a little straighter and looked wildly around the room, as if Danny was going to suddenly pop out from beneath the overturned couch or come running downstairs now that she was awake. What had happened right after she agreed to go with him the Ghost Zone? Did he see her?

"Where's Danny?" she asked in a louder voice, catching the Fentons' attention.

Maddie redirected her grin to Valerie, but Jazz, finally on her feet once more and free of her dad's crushing embrace, looked suddenly panicked.

"Oh he's just-"

Jazz interrupted her mom, speaking almost too fast to understand, "Downstairs! In the basement! He's cleaning up down there, he said it's a real mess, and I peeked down there when I heard him, and he's right it really is a mess. There's exploded glass and unknown substances on the wall, and now that I think about it, I really don't think he should be around that stuff, but..." She paused and looked around, seeming to just notice the damage on the walls and furniture. "It's a mess up here too. What happened exactly?"

"That Phantom creep attacked Danny!" Jack said, his eyes narrowing. "And when I get my hands on that spook..."

Valerie pressed her lips together. She wasn't sure what had happened prior to Skulker's arrival, but harming Danny had been the last thing Phantom had wanted after Skulker showed up.

_"Fenton! Move!"_

Valerie frowned and placed a hand against her forehead.

"Did you see him attack Danny?" Jazz countered as she glared up at Jack.

"We were upstairs at the time," Maddie said when Jack only pursed his lips. "The only ones who know what really happened are Valerie and Danny."

They all looked at Valerie, and she tensed. She didn't want to defend Phantom, not to Jack and Maddie-they actually _studied_ ghosts. If she said nothing, though, they would continue to focus on Phantom and ignore Skulker, a ghost that was arguably more cruel and gruesome and was for some reason targeting Danny. She shivered, imagining Danny on the island she and Phantom had escaped from.

"I don't know what happened before I got here," she said slowly, "but I only saw Skulker trying to kidnap Danny."

The Fentons frowned, and even Jazz paled, looking far more horrified than her parents for some reason.

Damien squeezed Valerie's hand, and when she looked back at her dad, he asked, "Is that how you got hurt? Because you were trying to protect him?"

"No...I don't think so." She frowned down at their interlocked hands. "I don't remember what happened exactly."

"The ghosts reappeared behind Danny," Maddie said, her voice softening. "The armored ghost-Skulker, was it?-aimed at Danny, but the blast went wide and hit you instead. Jack and I and fired on Skulker before he and Phantom ran away."

"Yeah," Jack grumbled, "but we would have gotten the ghost kid if Danny hadn't gotten in the way. That boy is so grounded!"

Valerie blinked. Twice. "He got in the way?"

"He stood between us and Phantom," Maddie explained. "So that we couldn't shoot at Phantom without hitting him too."

The hand not held in her father's clenched against Valerie's knee. " _Why_?"

"Because he's a hero," Jazz said, raising her chin. "Even if some people are too blinded by their own prejudices to see it." She looked pointedly at her mom and dad.

Valerie grimaced. That hit a little close to home. "I want to talk to Danny."

The defiance in Jazz's eyes vanished. "He'll be up here soon!" she said quickly.

"I need to talk to him _now_." Valerie released her dad's hand and stood up. Almost immediately afterwards the muscles in her legs spasmed and she fell back onto the couch. She drew her lips away from her teeth as she began rubbing her legs. "Damn..."

"You're going to stay right where you are, young lady," Damien said. He stood over her, and though his voice was stern, the hands he placed on her shoulders were gentle. "One doesn't walk off electrocution that easily, even with a ghost suit to protect them."

And the attack that had hit her had been meant for Danny. Valerie pressed a hand to her stomach, feeling sick. Why had Skulker been after Danny in the first place? It couldn't be because of her...?

"Jazz, sweetie," Maddie said, a hardness creeping into her voice, "why don't you see what's taking your brother so long. His chores can wait, we have a lot to discuss, and he really should be here with his girlfriend."

"But-" Jazz started.

"Jazz, please, it's important."

Danny's sister looked at Valerie, and something about Valerie's posture or expression must have hinted at her desperation because Jazz's expression crumpled, her shoulders sagging. She breathed in deeply and then let it out in a loud sigh. "Okay, Mom. I'll be right back."

"Thank you, Jazz."

As Jazz left the room, Jack and Maddie Fenton's attention turned to Valerie, and the young hunter tensed. Damien moved to sit beside her, his arm sliding around to wrap protectively around her shoulders. "You don't have to say anything you don't want to," he whispered into her ear. "Just say the word and we can go."

Valerie nodded, but she remained on the couch and watched Danny's parents.

Their expressions looked odd. Like they were trying to be serious, only there were little cracks in the facade, particularly on Jack's face. His lips trembled from the sheer force of his grin trying to burst free. Maddie was a little more composed, but there was an inquisitive glint in her eyes, a desire to pick apart Valerie's inner workings-or more likely her suit.

They looked more excited than stern, but Valerie knew how adults, especially parents, felt about a 'child' as young as her fighting ghosts.

"I won't give it up," Valerie said, raising her chin. "I'm the best hunter this town has, and I refuse to just sit around while ghosts do whatever the hell they like."

Damien sighed, but Jack practically squealed. "Just like a hero!" he said.

Valerie frowned. "I'm not a hero, Mr. Fenton. I just fight back."

Jack clapped his hands together from sheer delight, and Valerie realized she would never understand that man.

Maddie stepped forward, catching Valerie's attention. Her lips were stretched into a smile, but her eyebrows had lowered, making her look conflicted. "You are certainly one of the best hunters Jack and I have seen, Valerie, especially given your age and how long you've been fighting. You've become a formidable hunter within the past two years, and I have no doubt your abilities will only continue to improve. But your father is right." She paused and took a deep breath. "I can't in good conscience let you keep fighting ghosts on your own."

Valerie almost shoved herself off the couch, but Damien's arm around her shoulder kept her in place. She glared at Maddie instead, her jaw clenched. "You can't stop me," she bit out.

Maddie's lips quirked at one corner. "Your suit is ectoplasmic, dear. I'm sure we can invent something."

That caught Damien's attention, and he sat up a little straighter. "Can you really?"

Valerie shifted her glare to her dad as Jack whined, "Maaaddie..."

"Certainly," Maddie said cheerfully. "We already have an invention in the lab right now that can separate ghost energy from human hosts. We had designed it to extract ghosts after Jack had been possessed at our college reunion, but I'm sure it would work just as well on Valerie's suit." She frowned. "You know, ghost technology really isn't safe in the first place, no matter how useful. Where did you get something like that?"

Valerie only scowled and didn't answer. Mostly because she didn't know herself. She had acquired the suit right after Phantom had broken into Axiom Labs a third time, but _how_ it had taken form around her and why it had done so were never answered. She'd been too furious with Phantom for costing her dad his job _again_ that she hadn't bothered to find out.

"If you have an invention that can remove her ghost suit, can we not go down to your lab and do so now?" Damien asked.

"Dad!" Valerie pulled away from Damien, equal parts angry and hurt. "Ghost hunting is a part of who I am, you can't just rip it out of me because you don't approve!"

"It's not about approval, Valerie! It's about keeping you safe, that's all I care about!"

"I have enemies, Dad! Phantom, Skulker-they're not going to stop attacking me just because my suit is gone. How will I defend myself then?"

"We're not using the Fenton Ghost Catcher to destroy the Red Huntress," Jack said stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest. His lip trembled, and he added, a little plaintively, "It's just not fair. That's not what I built it for."

To Valerie's surprise, Danny's mom placed a supporting hand on her husband's arm and smiled apologetically up at him. "Of course, Jack, I only meant that we _could_ stop her, not that we would."

Meaning she wanted Valerie to know she held power over her, both through her inventions and Damien's approval. Valerie eyed Maddie warily. "What do you want?"

Maddie breathed in slowly, appearing to brace herself. "I want you to train under me and Jack."

" _What_?" Valerie launched herself onto her feet and glared furiously at Maddie. "I've been hunting by myself just fine!"

"Coming home every night with fractured bones, sprained ankles, and who knows what else is not doing just fine," Damien scolded, also standing. "It's not a bad idea, Val. You shouldn't be afraid to ask for help."

"I don't need help! Not from them, not from Vlad, and not from Danny stinking Phantom! Why does everyone think I can't do this on my own? I've been doing it for years!"

"Two years isn't that long," Maddie said, "not when there's always more to learn."

"About ghosts?" Valerie scoffed. "What else is there to know about them besides how to hurt them and what to do with them afterwards?"

"How about how one is created?" Maddie asked, narrowing her eyes. "Are you aware that if you were to die as you are, you would likely become the very thing you hunt?"

The words, so close to fears Valerie held close to her heart, made her flinch. As a nightmare it was something she could shrug off when the sun rose, but hearing it from a woman who studied ghosts...

"It's theoretical science only, of course," Maddie continued, "and one no hunter wants to validate, for obvious reasons. But it's something we must always be wary of. Don't become obsessed with the hunt, don't put the hunt above your own safety, and don't, under any circumstance, forget _why_ we hunt." She nodded her head at Damien. "We all have loved ones we wish to protect. Even when that means putting our passion aside."

Goosebumps broke out over Valerie's skin, but she refused to lessen her glare or unclench her fists. She felt trapped. The ghost energy buzzed inside her head, ready to be called. "I don't need help," she said again, quieter, but more forceful. "Least of all from you two."

Something crashed against the kitchen floor and wood screeched against the linoleum in protest. A yelp and then, "Danny, that was the table."

"I know that, Jazz!"

Valerie tensed further and looked past Jack and Maddie in time to see Danny charge into the living room. His blue eyes met hers, and he beamed, as if her being a secret ghost hunter made no difference to him, as if he hadn't been avoiding her in the basement the whole time.

"Valerie!" he said, "you're okay!"

He took a step forward, but his foot must have caught on the carpet because he tripped and fell face-first onto the floor. Jazz was by his side a second later, grabbing his arm and pulling him to his feet.

"You're such a klutz, Danny!" she said a little too loudly, forcing a laugh.

The ghost energy fizzled out of Valerie's grasp. In its absence, Valerie crossed her arms and tried to swallow her anger before she lashed out at Danny too. There were many ways she had imagined telling him about being the Red Huntress, especially after last night's date. Most fantasies typically involved her saving him from a ghost attack, but they were often soured by the thought of Danny comparing her to his annoying parents or him finding out the ghost that had just attacked him had only done so because he was her boyfriend.

She had never imagined a mess like this one, where she was exposed before Danny and his parents and then pressured into submitting to their idea of training.

Once on his feet, Danny seemed to notice the tense atmosphere in the room and the self-depreciating smile on his lips faded. "Uh, w-what's going on?"

Valerie had a hundred responses to such an innocently poised question, but she bit down on her lip and settled for glaring at Maddie. The woman was looking at her son, but her eyes kept darting to Jazz, and when she spoke, her tone was strained and hesitant. "We just...invited Valerie to train with us, dear. So we can teach her about ghosts and how to...better defend herself."

If anything, Danny's expression became more puzzled and upset, his eyebrows drawing together and his lips turning down. "She goes to school and works two jobs, Mom. She can't just drop all that for additional-" he cut himself off, following his mom's gaze to Jazz, "um, an additional work load."

"Yes!" Valerie straightened and smiled at Danny. "Exactly." He shrugged one shoulder and tilted his head as he smiled back. She suddenly felt a strong urge to hug him, his absence for the past few minutes be-damned. He was on her side!

"One of those jobs is only voluntary," Damien objected, frowning at Danny. "She can put it on hold for a couple weeks."

"Can she?" Danny countered. "It's not like she can just call in on a sick day and expect no one to get hurt because of it. It's not that kind of a job. And even if she does, that still doesn't leave her a whole lot of free time. She still has to find time for homework." The self-depreciating smile returned. "I can't even keep my grades up and I don't work a part time job. Uh, and volunteer work."

"It hasn't done any favors for your guys' relationship either," Jazz chipped in.

Valerie and Danny both winced. Their eyes met briefly before Danny looked away, his cheeks red. "Y-yeah, that too."

Their relationship and how her ex-secret affected it was something they were going to have to discuss in private, _not_ surrounded by their parents and Danny's clueless sister. Valerie lifted her chin and said, "I'm not going to stop volunteering. Even if you take my gear away, I'll keep going out, only with less protection."

Damien drew in a sharp, horrified breath, and Danny's eyes widened as he asked, "Take your gear...?"

"The Fenton Ghost Catcher can remove all kinds of ghostly influences!" Jack bragged cheerfully, as unaware of the atmosphere in the room as ever. If anything, Danny's eyes got wider.

"If Valerie won't quit volunteering," Jazz said before her dad could continue, "and school and her grades are the priority, that only leaves her job."

Valerie scowled. "I hate working at the Nasty Burger, I'd quit in a heartbeat, but I need to save up money for college and it's one of the only places that will hire high school students."

"And if Mom and Dad paid you to learn from them and help them catch ghosts?" Jazz suggested lightly, her eyebrows rising and her lips curling in a smile.

Maddie's attention snapped to her daughter, her own eyebrows rising in admiration. "Like an internship?"

"Yes!" Jazz exclaimed, delighted. "Then she could quit the Nasty Burger, train with you guys, and still get paid."

Damien hummed speculatively beside Valerie. "And she could put her work at Fenton Works down on a college application, especially since your family is funded by the government."

"Bu-but..." Valerie grasped for an excuse, anything other than _I don't want to_ and _I'm already a better hunter than the Fentons_.

"Jazz...?" Danny questioned quietly, sounding uncertain. His sister put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

"And she'll get to spend more time with Danny!" Jack crowed. "He's going to be training with us too!"

That caught Valerie's attention, and she looked at Danny with wide eyes. "You _are_?"

"I am?" A beat passed and Danny's equally wide eyes got even wider. He whispered, horrified, "I _am_."

"He had the Ghost Catcher in his room this morning and said he wanted to protect himself from ghosts!" Jack placed his hand on Danny's other shoulder and beamed down at his son. "Just like his old man."

Danny tried to smile back up at his dad, but it looked more like he was a few seconds away from being sick.

Valerie bit down on her lip as she desperately tried to think her way out of apprenticing with the Fentons. Every eye in the room gradually fell on her as they waited for her response, and Valerie felt the desire to activate her suit again and just run away. In the end, she looked at her father, at his tired eyes and weary posture, and the will to resist ebbed.

She eased her stance, relaxing her fists. "All right," she said, quietly, unhappily, "I'll…try. I'll give it a trail run."

Danny's parents cheered, especially Jack, and Jazz smiled proudly. Valerie only had a second to look at Danny before her dad crushed her in his embrace. Her boyfriend had looked worried, and she wanted to confront him on why, but then Damien whispered "Thank you" in her ear, and Valerie relaxed into the embrace, hugging him back.

If being professionally trained by older ghost hunters relieved some of the stress her hunting placed on her dad, then it would be worth every excruciating second she spent learning stuff she already knew. He deserved that much and more.

But by the time Damien released her, Danny had disappeared.

* * *

Sam stared up at the Fenton Ghost Catcher with pursed lips. It didn't look as if Jack and Maddie had worked on it, yet it had split Danny differently than last time and when his two halves had merged, they had screamed as if it hurt them. A lot. And afterward, Danny had been too disorientated to even stand up. He couldn't even keep his powers under control, something he hadn't struggled with in years.

Something had to have happened, but if the Ghost Catcher was the same as it had always been, then that meant the fault was with Danny.

Tucker finished his second circuit of the invention and stopped by her side. She glanced at him, and he grinned and said, "It's a shame they had to merge back."

Sam narrowed her eyes. "If you're thinking what I think you're thinking—"

"If they'd stayed separate, Valerie could have kept human Danny and you could have dated ghost Danny!"

He laughed at his own joke and she punched his arm. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough for him to playfully duck and flinch away from her, still chortling. She rolled her eyes at him and waited for Tucker's laughter to end. Her lips might have twitched with the beginnings of a smile, but if Tucker noticed he didn't mention it. His making light of her feelings for Danny made it easier to bear, and she wondered if he knew, if that was why he made so many jokes about it.

"They seemed reluctant to merge back," she said after a few seconds in which Tucker giggled to himself. "Do you think that might be why Danny was so…off?"

Tucker hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe. But we don't know how long he was really divided. Or how many times he split himself."

"So you don't think this was the only time?"

"Do you?" he countered.

She shrugged. "It just seems kind of…" she searched for a word, her nose wrinkling in frustration.

"Fishy?" Tucker suggested. "Weird? Unlikely? Like we're missing something vital that would make it all make sense?"

"Yes to all of that. I mean, the human half was _definitely_ hiding something."

Tucker sighed. "I don't understand why he's keeping whatever it is secret. He knows we're gonna find out eventually."

"It's probably either something dangerous—in which case, we're going to find out when we inevitably get sucked into whatever grand plot is going on—or Danny did something really embarrassing."

They shared a look, one that commiserated with just how many times they had endured Danny's dangerous and/or embarrassing situations. It was an occupational hazard when you were friends with a superhero. It wasn't always pleasant, but they would always be there for him. That's what friends were for.

Danny's tendencies to keep some things secret just complicated matters.

A couple minutes later, still no sign of Danny, Tucker whipped out his PDA and started working on perfecting his program. Sam decided to take a more active approach to the waiting game and started cleaning the lab of broken beakers and spilled…whatever liquid was currently coating the floor and counters. She had just finished sweeping up the glass when Danny charged into the basement. He froze at the bottom of the stairs and stared at Tucker and then at Sam with side, slightly panicked eyes.

The broom clattered to the floor as Sam released it and touched the wrist ray she always wore. "What's wrong? What'd she do?"

"Um…" Danny blinked at her a couple times before he shook his head. "No, there's nothing wrong. Everything's fine." He braced his shoulder against the wall and pressed his forehead against the metal, one arm cradled against his stomach. "Except my ghost-hating girlfriend just joined the family business. That's kind of bad."

Sam frowned but didn't relax or remove her fingers from the wrist ray. "You're saying the Red Huntress and your parents are going to be working together now?"

Danny nodded his head, the black hair trapped between his forehead and the wall tangling as it was dragged up and down. "Mom and Dad are interning her so she can learn more about ghosts and she'll have adult supervision while hunting, which her dad seemed pretty happy about."

"Yeah but," Tucker protested, "Valerie already knows how to hunt ghosts, and she doesn't seem like the kind of person who cares about studying them. What is she getting out of this?"

"Well, she's going to be paid, but apparently Fenton- _I_ signed us up for training with Mom and Dad this morning." He took a deep breath and sagged even more against the wall. "Which means I'm going to be training alongside Valerie. Under my parents' supervision."

Sam sucked in a breath and Tucker groaned in sympathy. "Ouch. Are your powers still acting up?"

Danny sighed. He stood up from the wall and showed them the arm that he had been hiding against his stomach. The arm that was now transparent. Intangible. "Yup..."

Sam gasped and rushed to Danny's side, Tucker only a step behind her.

She placed her hand on his elbow, just above the affected arm, and looked up the staircase to make sure no one was at the top. Tucker ushered the both of them away from the opening, and the two friends lead Danny to the computer chair and forced him to sit down. He flopped into the chair and didn't even protest as Sam and Tucker inspected his arm.

"I don't understand," Sam said, mostly to herself, "why are you losing control of your powers again? How long were you separated?"

"Not that long," Danny muttered. His arm regained tangibility and he pulled it from Sam's grasp. "It's probably nothing. Phantom hasn't had to hide our powers in a while so he's out of practice. Er, _I'm_ out of practice. Whatever."

Sam frowned, crossing her arms. "I don't think you can just 'forget' a learned skill. Not so much that you're shifting forms and losing tangibility for over a minute anyway."

"Well, what else am I supposed to do?" Danny demanded, sweeping his arms outward. "It's either wait this out and hope it gets better or split myself again for however long Valerie's training lasts. And I'm not doing that. I can't split myself again, I don't know if I..." He pressed his hands over his eyes and sunk down in the chair.

"We can join up too," Tucker suggested. "We can cover for you if your powers start acting up."

Danny lowered his hands and shook his head. "Phantom seems to think it'll be a good way to spend time with Valerie. And after everything that's happened, we kind of need that time."

Sam raised an eyebrow. That was the third time he'd referred to one of his other halves. "Phantom?" she questioned.

Danny's eyes focused on her, and for a moment, the blue irises flashed green. "Yes?"

Whatever Sam might have said fled from her mind, the words on her tongue stilled by shock.

Tucker, on the opposite side of Sam and so unaware of the change in Danny's eyes, continued the conversation as if nothing had happened. "I hate to say it, but your safety is more important than my bet—I mean, your relationship with Valerie. If you need help, you just have to ask."

Danny's eyes returned to normal as he smiled at Tucker. "Thanks, but I think I can handle it."

"It doesn't look very 'handled' at the moment," Sam muttered.

Danny gave her a confused look, and Sam realized he was as unaware as Tucker. For that matter, she wasn't sure what had happened either. Had it just been Danny's powers activating? Or had the personality of Danny's ghost half—Phantom—responded to Sam calling his name? And if that was the case, why hadn't Danny noticed?

"So other than your parents getting two students," Tucker said, "how did it go with Valerie? Did you patch things up with her?"

Danny sucked in a breath. "No, I, um, panicked. I…" He stood up. "I should have stayed with her, why did we leave? We need to—" He groaned in pain and placed a hand to his forehead, sinking back onto the chair. "Shit…"

Tucker looked at Sam, but the Goth kept her eyes and her attention solely on Danny. "Valerie probably has enough to worry about right now," she said. "You do too. Until you get control over yourself, you should be careful around her. And your parents."

Danny made a face, lips pinched in displeasure. "I guess…" He sighed deeply and glanced at the staircase. "We should probably get you guys out of here before Mom and Dad decide to give Val a tour of the lab. If she sees you here, she'll assume I told you guys about her secret, and then I'll really be in hot water."

"Like you needed to tell us anything when her voice gives her away," Sam said, snorting.

"Her new suit mostly distorts it now," Danny pointed out. He stood again, and the transformation rings flashed around his waist. After he completed the transformation, Danny grimaced and placed his hand to his throat, blue light surrounding his palm. "I forgot how much it hurt," he said in a softer, slightly rough voice.

Sam frowned and added another tally to the ever expanding list. Now that she thought about it… "Your human form didn't have a bruise there."

Danny's eyes darted away, his cheeks slightly colored. "Y-yeah…injuries don't seem to transfer over if I receive them while I'm, um, divided."

Sam hummed, her eyes narrowing.

Apparently done answering questions, Danny grabbed their hands, and moments later, Tucker and Sam stood in the alley outside Fenton Works. The sun had completely set, and in the dark, Danny's ghost form glowed brightly. Ethereal as always. Sam bit her lip as she watched him float higher. She wanted to ask him what was really going on, warn him about what she'd seen and what Valerie might do if she saw the same, but…

Did she have a right to say anything? As a friend, sure, but as a friend who had a crush on him? How biased were her perceptions? Would Danny even listen to her?

Danny waved goodbye to them before turning invisible and (presumably) floating back inside. Tucker sighed, touched Sam's arm, and then he and Sam began the long trek home.

"That was way more hectic than I was expecting when we decided to track Danny down," Tucker said.

Sam nodded but didn't reply. Tucker gave her an odd look, and Sam hesitated before saying, "How much you want to bet Danny is going to split himself again?"

Tucker frowned. "We're already betting on his relationship with Valerie."

"All right. How about I change my stance to their relationship falling through _because_ he splits himself?" Tucker hesitated, and Sam added, "Double or nothing."

Tucker's eyes widened and he grinned. "You're on!"

A couple minutes later, they stopped at a cross walk and Tucker looked at her, his eyebrows raised in concern. "Do you really think he's going to split himself? Even with how much trouble it's caused?"

"Ohh," Sam said lightly as dread and worry pooled in her stomach, "between training with Valerie and how much trouble he's having with his powers? Let's just say, I don't think he'll have much of a choice in the matter..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thus ends the first act. Yay! I have...approximately 8 more chapters planned. But knowing me, it'll be more like 10 more chapters. Aha...Convincing this kid to stay separate and let his bi ass fall in love with himself is not easy, let me tell you.
> 
> There's a lot of stuff going on with Danny that I would love to discuss...but it might give a part of the plot away. So...Valerie~ This was actually an idea I had for a Gray Ghost fic a long time ago, or at least very similar to it. It hurts a bit to use it in a Pitch Pearl fic where I know her relationship with Danny is going to fail, but it's also the best way for me to get things moving on her end. And they do need to get moving. I don't want her to be a passive force that's only there to cause tension. Her character drives the plot just like Danny's/Fenton's and Phantom's. 
> 
> Anyway, I have 2,000 words written for the next chapter (2,000 more that are in a scrap file and 1,300 written for the epilogue 'cause I just couldn't wait) and I'm hoping to keep a three week trend going, especially now that I'll be working less overtime. Hell yes. We'll see.
> 
> You guys are amazing.  
> Thanks for reading :3


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